<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>Avatar: The Chronicles of Clay by allyouneedisCas, ClericalCasket</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27240007">Avatar: The Chronicles of Clay</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/allyouneedisCas/pseuds/allyouneedisCas'>allyouneedisCas</a>, <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/ClericalCasket/pseuds/ClericalCasket'>ClericalCasket</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Avatar: The Last Airbender, Video Blogging RPF</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>... sort of, Airbender Dream, Airbender Sylvee, Alternate Universe - Avatar &amp; Benders Setting, Avatar Dream, George is not okay with this, He gets better eventually, How Do I Tag, Implied/Referenced Homophobia, Internalized Homophobia, M/M, Patches the Sky Bison, Slow Burn, Waterbender GeorgeNotFound, healing waterbending, not all the characters listed appear in the first chapter, so George's dad is kinda a dick, that would be way too many characters..., the Water Tribe is kinda sexist in canon, this is hard</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-10-28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-03-29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 22:53:55</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>24,707</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27240007</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/allyouneedisCas/pseuds/allyouneedisCas, https://archiveofourown.org/users/ClericalCasket/pseuds/ClericalCasket</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Water. Earth. Fire. Air. Long ago, the four nations lived together in harmony. Then everything changed when the Fire Nation attacked. Only the avatar, master of all four elements could stop them, but when the world needed him most, he vanished. 60 years passed, and I rediscovered the avatar, an idiotic bender named Clay. Although his bending is above average, I guess, he's got a lot to learn before he's ready to save anyone. If I have anything to say about it, Clay will save the world.</p><p>DAAA da DA DAAAAAAAA!!</p><p>Or: George, a master waterbender, finds Avatar Clay, and sets off on an adventure to save the world.</p><p>Or: George and Avatar Clay save the world in four months or your money back!</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Clay | Dream/GeorgeNotFound (Video Blogging RPF)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>158</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. The Lost Avatar</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Master waterbender George saves his sister and meets a mysterious man trapped in ice.</p><p>Or: George gets pushed into the water way too many times.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>This is a work of fiction. Obviously ;) But it's also a work of fun! The characters we've created here are based on real people, but they've been altered to fit into our Avatar AU. We love and respect the real people who became the stars of this fic and for any of you ATLA fans who don't know them yet, you should check them out!<br/>You can find them here:<br/>GeorgeNotFound: https://www.youtube.com/user/GeorgeeeHDPlays<br/>Dream: https://www.youtube.com/user/DreamTraps<br/>Sylvee: https://www.twitch.tv/sylveey<br/>Also, some ground rules! Whenever we introduce new characters, that chapter will start with an author’s note that lists the new YouTubers/Streamers and then what their name in the story is, and we’ll always include links to their channels (like we did above) so you can send them some love and make fun of how we wrote them.<br/>For chapter one (and all future chapters):<br/>GeorgeNotFound is George<br/>Dream/DreamWasTaken is Avatar Clay<br/>Sylveey/Sylvee is Sylvee</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em> Water. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Earth. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Fire. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Air. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> My grandmother used to tell me stories about her life before she lost her people, when she followed Avatar Clay around the world, helping him master the four elements. Back then the four nations still lived in harmony. But everything changed when the Fire Nation attacked. Before my grandmother even knew what had happened, the avatar had vanished. She moved to the Southern Water Tribe to search the waters nearby, not knowing whether she was looking for a man or a corpse. After a few years, she stopped searching. Instead she, and the allies she'd made around the world, protected the Tribe from raiders, while she awaited the next avatar. It's been 60 years; the Fire Nation is nearing victory in the war, and the Southern Water Tribe is one of the last bastions left. To this day, she still travels all over town looking for the little waterbender who will save the world. But I know she still believes he's out there somewhere. The lost avatar. </em>
</p><p>George extended his palm outwards, bending the flurries of snow away from his eyes, sleet burning his cheeks. He could just make out the light blue blob, his 12-year-old sister, in the distance. Dragging his boots through the snow, he finally caught up to her.</p><p>"Sylvee, couldn't you have waited until tomorrow to run away?" George sighed.</p><p>"Oh, I'm sorry, George," Sylvee said, "is my protest of Dad's complete disregard for animals' lives inconveniencing you?"</p><p>"Yes, actually."</p><p>"What? Ugh! Shut up!"</p><p>"I understand what Dad is saying, but -"</p><p>"Seriously?!" </p><p>"But! I think you're right," George said, frowning, "I don't think her life is as bad as he makes it out to be. But you can't stay out in a storm like this."</p><p>"I can't even stand to be in the same family as him, let alone the same room."</p><p>"Come back with me, and we'll tell him how wrong he is together."</p><p>Sylvee glared at him.</p><p>"Come on! It'll be fun telling him off, right?"</p><p>"... Fine," She relented.</p><p>The two started walking back home. Sylvee trudged ahead of him, still grumpy, but ready to face their father, as long as she had George's support. <em> It's not like he'll listen to me either,</em> George thought bitterly, <em> but two's better than one. </em>If he was being honest with himself, he was just worried Sylvee would do something stupid and get herself hurt again.</p><p>He suddenly saw a flash of bright white teeth in the snow. A polar leopard stalked confidently into view. George moved his arms, lifting the snow off the ground to form a defensive barrier around himself. He shifted his weight to his back foot, preparing to launch a torrent of water at the predator, when Sylvee thrust her arms forward and a gust of wind exploded out of her hands. Sylvee flew backwards and propelled the leopard ten feet away. Whimpering, the animal made its retreat. She continued to slide backwards and disappeared from sight with a cracking sound and a scream muffled by the snow.</p><p>"Sylvee!" George screamed.</p><p>He tore after her, lowering himself down into the previously hidden ravine to see his little sister crumpled in a heap on the ground. He shook her and called her name, but she didn't respond. Panicked, he put his hand over her mouth. A warm puff of air. Still breathing. Her face had two deep cuts and a few scratches, but they didn't seem serious. Her eyes fluttered open and she began softly sobbing. Then he saw her leg and retched. It was bent at an awkward angle, with a small bit of white sticking out surrounded by a deep black, aka dark red, oozing out, painting the snow beneath it. Bone. Bones were supposed to be on the inside of your body. He was sure of that. He tried to move her but she cried out. Instinctually, he moved his hands in one fluid motion collecting water around them. They glowed a soft blue. He stared at his hands, his mouth hanging open. He could… heal? He placed his hands against Sylvee's leg, and the bone shifted back into place, knitting the jagged edges neatly together. The wound closed slightly, covering the white of her bone, but he couldn't completely close it. He knew from experience that if a healer wanted to fix damage this severe, it would take at least a week. He snickered, remembering the time Sylvee tried to rescue that baby puffin seal.</p><p>George cleared out the snow around them and waved his hands around his head in a circular motion, until he'd built an igloo made of tightly packed ice. After a few hours of rest, the snow drifted into a gentle fluttering. He thought now seemed as good a time as any to get moving.</p><p>"Can you stand on it?" He asked her.</p><p>"Yeah. It's just sore," she paused, "It was broken."</p><p>"I guess you'd know, wouldn't you? Having broken every <em> single </em>bone in your body," George teased.</p><p>"It just looks like a cut now, though. A really, really deep one but..."</p><p>"You were surprised and in a lot of pain. You probably just thought you'd broken it."</p><p>Sylvee raised her eyebrow but didn't say anything and began limping away. George created a large icicle and handed it to her to use as a walking stick. His head darted back and forth, warily keeping an eye out for any more polar leopards.</p><p>…</p><p>Sylvee and George weaved through the houses on their block, scuffing the smooth ice pathways with their fur-lined boots. Their house was built with thick planks of wood in a frame of ice. Unlike the other houses in the area, their home had yellow walls with orange accents, or so George was told; it had always just looked like one ugly yellowish mess to him. Growing up, he'd been jealous of the other children in town, who went home to beautiful blue houses, while he slunk back to the yellow eyesore at the end of the block. Above the door were three spirals arranged in a triangular pattern that Gran Gran had carved when she built this place with their grandfather. They had a movement to them that almost made them look as though they would flow in a circle, if you stared at them long enough. George smiled. Gran Gran said they represented the mind, body, and spirit, and the way they flowed together in a perfect balance. The symbol of her people. That was the only part of this house he liked.</p><p>Their father, Yunlaka, waited in the doorway, scowling.</p><p>"Sylvee, you can't just run off like that in a blizzard! You could have died! And what happened to your leg?" Yunlaka asked.</p><p>"I broke it," Sylvee announced. George nudged her to try to shut her up, but she lost her balance and he had to catch her. He left his arm over her shoulder, pretending the awkward side hug was a totally <em> normal </em> show of sibling love that he'd <em> absolutely </em>meant to do on purpose.</p><p>"I see," Yunlaka pressed his lips together, trying to hold his laughter in, "You must have truly mastered your forms, if you managed to travel all the way back home on a broken leg. I'm assuming you flew home? Should we start talking about getting your tattoos?" He chuckled.</p><p>"Actually, George healed me. That's why it's only a cut now."</p><p>Yunlaka's smile deflated and his eyes locked onto George. He moved out of the doorway to tower over his son.</p><p>"Did he now?"</p><p>George sighed and looked directly back into his father's eyes.</p><p>"Yes," he said, "I did."</p><p>"George, you know it's forbidden."</p><p>"I don't understand why. I never have. How can I call myself a master, if I'm not allowed to learn every part of waterbending?"</p><p>"It's women's work, you <em> know </em> that."</p><p>"Sylvee was injured and I was there. What was I meant to do? Leave her?"</p><p>"You should have carried her home. A broken leg isn't fatal. If it had been an emergency, I might have understood but to break our traditions without reason -"</p><p>"Without reason? She was hurt! She was crying! She was in agony when I moved her even an inch!"</p><p>"Men are warriors, George, I've tried to teach you this. Yet you insist on disrespecting our culture and acting shamefully!"</p><p>"Shamefully?!"</p><p>"Are you a woman, George?"</p><p>"No, of course not!"</p><p>"Should we start looking for a husband for you?!"</p><p>George paused, only for the briefest second.</p><p>"No!" His eyes widened.</p><p>"Gran Gran!" Sylvee interrupted.</p><p>Suyin walked outside. A faded, wrinkled blue arrow on her forehead almost hidden underneath tendrils from the long, white braid resting on her sloped back. She pulled her granddaughter into her arms.</p><p>"I think we should all go inside. It's freezing out here."</p><p>As though she'd spoken it into existence, George and Yunlaka froze mid argument. Yunlaka opened his mouth to strike at the opening George had just made, but his mother-in-law interrupted yet again.</p><p>"I made ginseng," Suyin stated, leaving no room for rebuttals.</p><p>Sylvee shot George an apologetic glance as she walked past Suyin into the house. His father growled quietly, but his shoulders slumped indicating a temporary truce as he followed his youngest.</p><p>"You did the right thing, my little waterbender," Suyin pinched his cheek, "Traditions are important but they're not infallible. Sometimes they separate us instead of uniting us. They may even stifle our inner strength…" Her eyes glazed over and she smiled sadly.</p><p>George was silent, unsure of how to respond to that.</p><p>"Why don't you go fishing? The snow has settled and today feels like a good day to be out on the ocean," she said, patting him on the shoulder. George nodded.</p><p>"You really should get back inside, Gran. You were right, it's freezing," George said, leaning down and kissing the top of her head.</p><p>Suyin smiled to herself as her favorite grandchild trekked back out, towards the ocean. </p><p>… </p><p>The sun had long since left the horizon and the moon was high overhead. George smiled tracing the crescent with his fingers. He absent-mindedly brought sea water into his hands and formed a small patch of salty mist in front of himself. Securing the strap on his food pouch, he stared behind, back towards where he knew his house waited. He loosened the strap again. They could always use a bit more food. And if they couldn't, their neighbors could. He bent the water and the boat glided forwards. Spotting a silver glint, he stood up, bending the water around the fish, lifting it towards him.</p><p>The boat lunged forward and George tumbled backwards, slamming his back against the seat. The slip stream carried him through a field of icebergs. He pushed himself away from one, only to crash into another. Constantly losing his footing, he tried to slow the water in front of him, unknowingly ignoring the giant iceberg in front of him. In slow motion, the boat impacted. Compressing tighter and tighter, then splintering, and boom! His boat was driftwood. He set himself down on the iceberg that had murdered his vehicle. He couldn't see his pouch anywhere. So much for getting food. He collapsed onto the ground. He could make it home, he knew he didn't need a boat for that, but… just a second longer. He didn't have to go right now.</p><p>He waited.</p><p>George sighed and got up. There was no use in putting it off any longer. He pivoted his hips and bent his back knee, preparing to build another boat, when something caught his eye. He turned fully to see a blurry shape in the ice. He moved in closer. A man frozen. Trapped inside. Something was wrong with him though. His eyes seemed almost opaque. Still. He couldn't just leave this person encased in ice. He quickly waved his fingers, forming a dozen sharp daggers out of ice, and lifted them above his head with one hand. With his other hand he gradually melted the ice trapping the figure. </p><p>After a few minutes, steam began pouring out of the opening, and the man stumbled out. He was tall. Taller than George, and he had messy blonde hair with freckles dotting the bridge of his nose. He wore a belted tunic and pants that were probably green, since they had the distinct lines and simple patterns of the Earth Kingdom. What was an Earth Kingdom citizen doing here? And how did he get in there?</p><p>The man straightened up, eyes darting between the razor-sharp icicles pointed at him. With two fingers extended on both hands, he jabbed at the air, sending twelve precise bursts of flame, melting every single icicle instantly. George tensed. A firebender. Lifting his arms up in a smooth motion, he brought a giant wave from behind him and thrust his arms forward sending the man hurling backwards. George froze the water around the man up to his neck.</p><p>"So… You really just unfroze me so that you could freeze me again?" the man asked.</p><p>"You attacked me!"</p><p>The man chuckled.</p><p>"If I was going to attack you, I would've done this - "</p><p>The man took a deep breath and blew a gale force wind out of his mouth. George flew back into the water. He floated for a moment staring at the man. Then he scrambled back up. The man took another deep breath, but George released him, water cascading down to join the ocean.</p><p>"You're the avatar."</p><p>They stared at each other. Then the man burst out laughing, clutching his stomach and wheezing.</p><p>"Dressed like… Earth…" he tried to speak, his breath still rattling, "firebending!"</p><p>He took more deep, squeaky breathes, trying to keep himself from becoming hysterical.</p><p>"Well I don't know! You could've been an undercover spy, or something…"</p><p>"A spy!" The man involuntarily sucked in too much air and let out a deafening howl of laughter, echoing out across the sea. He fell to the ground, unable to even support his own weight anymore.</p><p>"Shut up," George said, face starting to flush. Even Gran Gran’s vibrant stories paled in comparison to the avatar’s vivacious laugh.</p><p>It took the man a full five minutes of intermittent laughing before he reduced himself to a low chortle.</p><p>"If you're finished," George said, raising an eyebrow.</p><p>"I," he breathed heavily, "I am. Um, my name is Clay."</p><p>"George."</p><p>George plopped down next to Clay. Breathing almost as heavily as he was. The avatar. Not just the avatar, Avatar Clay. Gran Gran’s avatar.</p><p>"Are you okay?" Clay asked.</p><p>"Yeah… um. I'm, uh, fine. Fine."</p><p>"Then… Why are you staring at me? I mean I know I'm handsome but it's rude to stare, Georgie."</p><p>"Don't call me Georgie… And, if you're the avatar, then why don't you have your arrows? What 21 years wasn't long enough to master airbending?"</p><p>"I <em> am </em> a master! Not every master has tattoos." Clay frowned, glaring at the ground.</p><p>"That's not what I heard," George said in a sing-song voice.</p><p>"What? Know a lot of airbenders, Water Tribe man?"</p><p><em>Only my entire family</em>, George thought.</p><p>"I know enough," he replied.</p><p>"Well, I am a master."</p><p>"Pfft, some master. I took you out in two seconds."</p><p>"I'd just woken up!"</p><p>"It's fine. You don't have to make excuses. I won't tell anyone that I subdued the avatar using only my awesome waterbending…. Even though he could bend <em> literally </em> every element. I'll keep your secret." George winked. "Your embarrassing little secret."</p><p>"Let's fight right now. You won't be that lucky a second time."</p><p>"You want to fight now? When the moon is highest?" George snickered, "Sure, why not?"</p><p>The two rose and walked a few paces away from each other. George slid his right foot back. Clay crouched slightly. Then George whipped his body, throwing a stream of water at Clay's head. Clay batted clumsily at the water, like he was swatting an ant fly, stumbling a few steps back. George smirked. He launched another torrent from behind Clay, trying to capitalize on his unsteady stance. At the last second, Clay floated out of the way and forced George to part his own wave. Clay sent a blast of warm air at George, who barely dodged it. Then he whirled his hands in a circular motion and created a vacuum drawing George towards him. George lobbed a chunk of ice at him to get away. Clay broke it apart with a fire blast, then shot slivers of flame at George's feet, and George hopped backwards, scowling. He gathered water around his body and rocketed himself to the top of the iceberg. From this vantage point, he whipped his arms in front of him, as if he were chopping the air with them, and encircled his opponent in ice.</p><p>Clay smiled at him through a gap in his frozen prison, wide and almost maniacal. Clay extended his arms. George felt his feet begin to slide away from him, as the ice on the top of the tiny glacier began melting. He quickly bent the water beneath himself and rode gracefully down, while Clay melted the ice cocoon George had surrounded him in. George twisted his feet, drawing ice up to his ankles, and threw up his arms in a grand gesture, creating a wave three times the size of the iceberg they sparred on. Then Clay shot a burst of air that narrowed down to a small point, hitting George squarely in the chest. The impact flung George out of his boots and into his own wave. Without a bender, the wall of water fell back into waves crashing down and rocking the iceberg back and forth.</p><p>A moment later, George's head emerged, hair plastered in front of his eyes. He used his palm to sweep it aside.</p><p>"What kind of airbending was that?!" George shouted.</p><p>Clay cackled, and held his hand out. George took it, Clay hauling him back onto the ice.</p><p>"I could've killed you. I mean, that move could've. If you just make the air smaller before it impacts, then the pressure can break through your chest."</p><p>George just gaped at him.</p><p>"I wasn't going to kill you," Clay hurried to say, "I would never just, you know, randomly kill someone."</p><p>Silence.</p><p>"I wouldn't kill you. You seem nice," he paused, "Well, nice enough," he chuckled. "Um, thank you, by the way, for letting me out."</p><p>"Airbenders are supposed to be pacifists," George said.</p><p>Clay crossed his arms and hunched his shoulders, glaring at the ground again. Then George shook his head and giggled, melting the ice around his shoes and slipping them back onto his feet. Clay looked up and smiled a little.</p><p>"Why do you keep throwing me in the water? I'm like, your savior, you should like worship me or something."</p><p>"Of course! Oh, mighty George of the Water Tribe!"</p><p>"Southern Water Tribe," George corrected.</p><p>"Oh, mighty George! Oh, magnificent and beautiful George of the Southern Water Tribe, I tremble before your mighty presence! I, a mere servant, am indebted to you for all time!"</p><p>Clay made kissing noises and tried to grab George's face. George laughed and told him to stop, pushing his face away. Soon they were both on the ground gasping for air, Clay's breath wheezing and squeaking again. George couldn't remember the last time he'd laughed this much. He took deep breaths to recenter himself, his stomach ached and his cheeks hurt. His clothes flopped heavily with water when he sat up. He began bending some of the water out of his sleeve.</p><p>"How did you know I was 21?" Clay asked.</p><p>"Huh?" George looked up and the water he'd removed splashed right back onto his sleeve.</p><p>"How'd you know?"</p><p>"Oh. I've just heard stories about you. I guess," he tilted his head down, bending the water away again.</p><p>Clay huffed and then smiled, letting it go. During the lull in conversation, George finished pulling the water out of his clothes and hair. Then, noticing Clay's tunic was drenched from the battle, he began bending the water out of his outfit, as well.</p><p>"Hey," Clay muttered, smiling and gazing directly into George's eyes.</p><p>George looked away and scooted back.</p><p>"So, how did you get here without a boat?" Clay continued, gesturing to the miles of ocean in every direction.</p><p>"I have a boat," George sarcastically pointed out the scraps of wood that their brawl had scattered among the other heaps of ice.</p><p>"Ah. So you were…?"</p><p>"Fishing," George finished. </p><p>"And then you crashed into me?"</p><p>"Quite literally, yes."</p><p>"And you were fishing for yourself?"</p><p>"For my family."</p><p>"Oh." Clay's face was unreadable.</p><p>"My dad, sister, mom… Grandmother. Family."</p><p>"Right," Clay smiled, "So, should we go meet them?"</p><p>"I don't think that's a good idea."</p><p>"Yeah, of course," Clay nodded. "Way too early to meet the family."</p><p>"That's not what I meant!" George spluttered.</p><p>Clay laughed again, nudging George's shoulder with his own.</p><p>"Then, what did you mean?" Clay asked, a smile still playing across the edges of his lips.</p><p>"Well, don't you have better stuff to do. Like stopping the war."</p><p>"What war?"</p><p>He didn't know. He must have been in ice the entire time. How could George explain? Everyone this man loved was probably dead or at least completely different. All his people, gone. The only one left was Gran Gran… But if she met Avatar Clay again… </p><p>"The Fire Nation started a war," George said.</p><p>"What? When? I've been all over the world and I never saw any war. Did it just happen?"</p><p>"No… Not exactly. For now, all that's important is finding you firebending and earthbending masters, so you can stop the Firelord," George saw Clay open his mouth to complain, "It's a long story, I'll tell you on the way."</p><p>"You'll tell me on the way? So, you're coming with me?"</p><p>"Oh… well yeah. You clearly need a waterbending master. I guess it doesn't have to be me."</p><p>"No, I'd love it if you came with me!"</p><p>"Okay! Then I will!" George's hands came up in an awkward gesture and, as he slowly lowered them, he was suddenly unsure of where to put them.</p><p>George searched for the moon and saw it drifting closer towards the West. They'd all be asleep right now.</p><p>"Actually, I think I <em> should </em> stop by my house. We'll need supplies," George said. Then glancing around, he realized something was missing, "Where's your sky bison?"</p><p>"Yeah… I don't have one."</p><p>George made a clicking sound with his tongue and shook his head.</p><p>"No tattoos and no sky bison, are you sure you're an Air Nomad?"</p><p>"It's not my fault none of them liked me," Clay grumbled.</p><p>George snickered and raised his hands, preparing to make a boat out of ice when Clay stopped him, putting a hand on George's shoulder. He pulled his glider off his back.</p><p>"We can take this," Clay said.</p><p>George remembered when Yangchen convinced him to ride with her on her glider. He shook his head. Clay opened the glider with a click and whoosh, two yellow (or maybe green) wings popping out. Clay grabbed one of George's hands and placed it on the glider.</p><p>"It'll be fun," Clay promised.</p><p>George fell twice, dipping under the cold arctic waves, before he decided to surf the rest of the way on a piece of ice.</p><p>…</p><p>Clay moved to open the door but George nudged him backwards, shaking his head emphatically.</p><p>"You should wait out here," George whispered, "We don't want to wake anybody."</p><p>Clay frowned but stepped backwards shrugging.</p><p>George slipped inside. Even with the candles extinguished, he noiselessly shifted past the kitchen and down the hallway in a way only possible in your childhood home. His door was cracked open slightly, and he eased it closed, lighting a candle in the corner. He stuffed some tunics and a few pairs of pants into a bag that was mostly sewed together patches at this point. He grabbed an extra jacket, remembering Clay's thin tunic and how he shivered when he thought George wasn't looking. His two bending pouches were already attached to his hips. He slid assorted coins into his bag; Water Tribe money, Earth Kingdom currency, even Fire Nation. All nations were represented. These were mementos from his grandmother's travels. She'd be happy to see him using them to help the avatar. Probably.</p><p>Did he need anything else? His eyes fell on a sheet of paper and a brush. He'd never left home before. If his parents woke up and he was just gone… He lifted the brush and held it above the paper. A drop of ink almost stained the page. He needed to be careful how he worded this. He nodded to himself, writing and rewriting in his head before he decided:</p><p>
  <em> I'm leaving. I met a man, and I've decided I need to go with him. This could be my spiritual journey. I'll be back before the end of next year. </em>
</p><p>          -  <em> George </em></p><p>He snatched the note off the desk and a blue and silver dagger from underneath his bed, before tiptoeing back out into the hall. He affixed the letter to his Gran Gran's door with the knife. He wanted to make sure she would see it. She'd worry the most. Then, he snuck into the kitchen. He gathered some blubbered seal jerky and dried fish. Hopefully this stash would last until the first major town, but they could always fish if their stock ran out. This supply run was more for convenience than anything.</p><p>When he turned, Suyin stood behind him. His letter clutched in one hand and dagger gripped in the other.</p><p>"Gran Gran -"</p><p>Suyin shook her head and held out the knife, smiling.</p><p>"You might need this to prepare and cook your meals. Even a master waterbender still needs other tools. I feel as though this will be a long journey," Suyin said.</p><p>"I'm sorry."</p><p>"Oh, George. I always knew you would need to leave us. Staying here and taking care of us, as long as you have… I knew someone like you could never be satisfied with this house. This life. I'm just happy you met someone."</p><p>George scratched the back of his neck.</p><p>"Yes! He's very wise. He'll guide me well. On my journey. My spiritual journey. Of spiritual awakening and discovery," George stammered.</p><p>Suyin's eyes twinkled and she hugged him tightly.</p><p>"Good luck, little one. I hope you learn something about yourself and who you hope to be."</p><p>"Yup, that's why I'm going. Away. Right now."</p><p>George stumbled out the door, snapping it shut behind him. Clay sat by the entrance, knees hugged to his chest, staring at George with an eyebrow raised. The waterbender grimaced and Clay shook his head, stretching his legs out.</p><p>"So… Why is your house basically an Air Nomad shrine?" Clay asked.</p><p>"Well, my parents love airbenders and their culture and stuff," George shrugged.</p><p>
  <em> Not technically a lie. </em>
</p><p>Clay rose and followed George to the large, orange and yellow barn behind his house. The chains that secured the door were piled in a heap on the ground and one of the doors hung slightly ajar. A soft glow trickled out of the gap. George motioned for Clay to stay back and he cautiously peeked inside. A small figure fiddled with one of the pens. George yanked the door open and strode in.</p><p>"Sylvee? What exactly is your plan here?" George asked. </p><p>Sylvee yelped and jumped a few feet off the ground, her airbending pushing her just a bit higher than normal. Clay emerged from the door looking between the two with his head slightly tilted.</p><p>Right, George would have to introduce them.</p><p>"Clay this is my sister, Sylvee, and Sylvee this is Avatar Clay."</p><p>Clay waved.</p><p>"Wait, you're the avatar? Avatar… <em> Clay </em>? You're the one - " Sylvee said.</p><p>George interrupted, "I think we need to talk about this," he gestured across the room, "over here. Come on."</p><p>The two went to the corner where their family kept the hay for the animals, leaving Clay to explore the rest of the barn alone.</p><p>Words burst out from Sylvee the minute George stopped walking.</p><p>"This is <em> that </em>Avatar! The one who traveled with Gran Gran, right?"</p><p>"Yeah… He is."</p><p>"Why does he look so young?"</p><p>"He was in an iceberg… When Gran lost him, I think it was because he got trapped."</p><p>"Have you told Gran Gran yet? Oh! I'll go tell her!"</p><p>George's eyes widened and he grabbed her arm.</p><p>"No. You can't tell her."</p><p>Sylvee frowned and George answered her question before she could ask it.</p><p>"You know Gran. She's been telling us about this… For years and, well, she'd want to come with but, you know, she's just… Too old."</p><p> "Okay then…" Sylvee drew the words out into a long skeptical song.</p><p>"What?!" Clay exclaimed from across the room.</p><p>Startled, the siblings looked over to see Clay peering into one of the pens at one of the oldest sky bison in their herd.</p><p>"This is not possible! How do you have sky bison… behind your house?!"</p><p>"Remember when I said our parents were fans of airbenders? Well…"</p><p>"So they stole them?"</p><p>"No, of course not. They know an air nomad…" George replied, indignant. </p><p>Clay whispered and cooed into each pen, introducing himself to all the bison, most of which appeared to be disinterested at best.</p><p>"Why haven't you told him about Gran Gran?" Sylvee asked.</p><p>"It would just be… complicated. But that's not the point. What were you planning on doing with that bison?"</p><p>"I was freeing her."</p><p>"She was raised in captivity; she wouldn't be able to take care of herself in the wild."</p><p>"If she stays here, Dad will put her down. You heard him, it's 'For her own good,'" she mocked her father.</p><p>"Okay. Okay. I've been thinking about this, we can take her."</p><p>"Take her where?"</p><p>"I'm escorting Clay around the world to find teachers, and he doesn't have a bison anyway, so two puffin-seals with one snowball."</p><p>"Cool! When do we leave?"</p><p>"You're not coming, Sylvee."</p><p>"You're seriously going to leave me here?"</p><p>"You're 12. You really think it's a good idea for someone your age to go galavanting around the world? You get hurt when you're just loafing around the house! You'll get out of here eventually, I promise, but for now you just have to get through it, like I did."</p><p>"But you didn't! You're 23 and you're still here!” </p><p>"You know I stayed for Gran Gran," George muttered, looking away.</p><p>Sylvee bit her lip and started to apologize.</p><p>"Don't worry. If you want to leave you will. You're like our sisters."</p><p>"I am not!"</p><p>"Trust me, you're more similar than you think. And not just because you're all airbenders. I'll come back for you. I will. I promise. Just try not to die while I'm gone."</p><p>He turned to tell Clay they were going but didn't see him. He panicked until he heard a rustling in one of the stalls. George padded over and pulled open the chest high gate. Curled on the ground was the creature that Sylvee had been so concerned for. An accidental hybrid of a sky bison and a panther. She was slightly smaller than their other purebred sky bison and had inherited some unusual traits, causing her to become another one of their father’s disappointments. She was brown with black stripes all over her body and a fluffy white plume of fur on her chest. Her face was wide and bovine shaped but also had an elongated snout that ended in a large button cat nose. The bridge of her nose had another sliver of white. Her round, green eyes had large pupils that glinted intelligently in the candlelight. Although she had six legs, her feet were sturdy, rounded paws. Her ears stuck up in obtuse triangles and her horns were too short and went straight out. Clay used a small gust of wind to twirl his belt around the enclosure and she batted at the strip of fabric with her enormous front paws.</p><p>"Oh, hi! I was just hanging out with Patches," Clay said.</p><p>"You named her?"</p><p>"Yup!"</p><p>Clay smiled and continued playing with Patches. She finally caught the belt and then she licked him. He flinched and George knew that it was because of her rough, sandpaper tongue. Clay looked up at George, hesitating.</p><p>"I have… I wanted to ask…"</p><p>"Yeah?" George prompted.</p><p>"Can I adopt her? She's the first bison I've ever bonded with and it's a rite of passage and we need a ride anyway, and I heard you mention that your dad didn't want her and… Yeah."</p><p>"Yeah, I think she should be with you. She never really fit in here."</p><p>"I think that's why we understand each other. Neither of us have arrows… And neither of us need them."</p><p>While George and Clay prepared the saddle and affixed their food pouches to the side, Sylvee stayed in the corner arms crossed. Even as they soared away from the South Pole, George's mind stayed with Sylvee. Things wouldn't be easy without him around to play peacemaker. He just hoped she wouldn't try anything stupid.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Hello! Oh my goodness, it's nice to see you again!<br/>Hopefully the next chapter will be out soon, but until then, the end notes are gonna have a couple recommendations for stuff to watch/read until next time!<br/>This week we have one of my favorite GeorgeNotFound videos. I know y'all have probably seen it, but I love rewatching it:<br/>Minecraft, But My Friend Is A Parrot...<br/>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lfOakuOT5dY<br/>And if you're in the mood for a great read, we have an amazing DreamNotFound fic for you! It's absolutely wonderful:<br/>Green &amp; Gold by HognoseSnake<br/>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25879459/chapters/62884513<br/>Welp... I need to go now so... ClericalCasket I choose you! Use - next chapter! (It was very effective)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. The Avatar's on Kyoshi</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>George and Clay go to a port trading town to obtain a map and learn some interesting information.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>We're doing Pokemon for the first reference? Ok I guess I'm a Pokemon now.<br/>Well regardless, Hello everyone, I am the other author, ClericalCasket. Anyways hope you enjoy this chapter, sorry it took so long.<br/>No new characters in it, well at least no one we have to link to.<br/>Uh I guess that's it for these, so if you're still reading my weird notes, Hi and enjoy the chapter.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Clay pulled the jacket he borrowed from George tighter, trying to cover himself from the cold. They had been flying for about four days and Clay had no clue where they were going. Realizing this, he turned to George.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey George.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah Clay?”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Where are we going?”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>George seemed to consider for a moment before speaking again.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Well the best place to find an earthbending master would be either Omashu or Ba Sing Se, so I guess Omashu.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The two were silent for a moment before Clay spoke again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And where exactly would that be?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>George starred at Clay, processing what he had said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I… I assumed you would know…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why would I know where Omashu is?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You traveled the world!” George crossed his arms defensively, “I assumed you would know!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Clay began laughing and wheezing, unable to stop himself. After taking a moment to calm himself down, Clay began to speak again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well did you at least bring a map?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>George looked through the bag he had brought with and let out a long sigh. Clay found himself unable to stop laughing.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>…</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>That was how Clay and George found themselves in a port trading town, searching for supplies and a map. It was a small port town, whose economy was based upon trade and fishing. It took the pair a while to find anywhere that might sell a map, and they were about to give up when they found the ship. It was a green and yellow trimmed ship and clearly was manned by pirates.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Look!” George pointed at the pirate ship, “They must have a map for sale there!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t know George; I’ve had some bad experiences with pirates.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Come on,” George waved his hand dismissively, “I’m sure it’ll be fine.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Clay wore an expression of concern.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“If it worries you that much, I'll go.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Are you sure…?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t mind, really.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay,” Clay said, with a grateful look on his face, “I’ll meet you back here in 20 minutes.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And with that, Clay began to wander the port trading town, not really looking for anything in particular, and then he found it. What first attracted him was the sound of metal on metal. He followed the noise to a simple blacksmith’s shop. It was an open designed shop, partially covered with a wooden table in front displaying the wares for sale. Clay examined the blades and other miscellaneous tools on the wooden table, until his eyes caught on something. It was a simple sword hilt, made of iron, with no blade attached, and a small cross-piece on it. Clay picked up the sword hilt, examining it closely. The blacksmith noticed the movement out of the corner of his eye and turned to talk to Clay.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Is this for sale?” Clay asked, holding up the sword hilt.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“You actually want that sword hilt?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why on earth would you want that?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s interesting.” Clay shrugged, “Where’d it come from?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Some Earth Kingdom professor asked me to look at it, thought it was some ancient relic. When I told him it wasn’t, he said I could keep it. Hadn’t gotten around to melting it down yet.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So, how much?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The blacksmith scratched his head.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Uhh… let’s say three copper pieces.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What about two copper pieces?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You know what, sure.” The blacksmith sighed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thanks!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hope you enjoy your sword hilt.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Clay smiled and placed the hilt into his bag and then wandered off to find George. As he was walking, he couldn’t help but overhear a conversation between a fisherman and the fish vendor he was delivering to.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Did you hear the news?” The fisherman said excitedly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What news?” The vendor asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The Avatar’s on Kyoshi Island!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You don’t say.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Clay chuckled and continued waiting for George. After a short time, George joined him, now holding a map in his hands.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey George! Guess what I heard?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What did you hear, Clay?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Clay looked at George with a neutral expression, trying not to laugh.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The Avatar is on Kyoshi Island.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Clay then broke out into a laugh, having to put a hand on George to balance himself. George however had a thoughtful look on his face.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But why would someone think you were on Kyoshi Island…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Clay continued to laugh while George was lost in thought.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I mean, you're an airbender. It's not like there are many people they could confuse for you. Especially this far South…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Clay was finally able to calm himself down and looked at George with a curious expression.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Unless… Sylvee! Ugh, I told her not to follow us!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Clay looked at George with a questioning expression but said nothing. George let out a long sigh.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We need to go to Kyoshi Island.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It took them entirely too long to get to Kyoshi Island. It didn’t help that George kept misreading points on the map and directing Clay the wrong direction. Despite that, they were able to reach the island. They decided to land outside of town, to prevent anyone from figuring out that the Avatar was actually there on Kyoshi Island. Once they had landed Patches on the outskirts of town, the two headed into town, looking for information. George pointed at someone to ask for information and led Clay towards the woman. But just as Clay reached the center of the square, he stopped following George, turning his gaze towards the statue of Kyoshi in the middle of the square. He wasn’t sure what had caught his attention or why he continued to stare at the it After a few minutes of staring at the statue, Clay felt a strange urge to examine the town. He turned around and looked at the town a bit closer than he and George had. There were burn marks on several of the buildings, and they looked rather recent. He could smell smoke in the air, although it was faint. Clay tilted his head in confusion as he noticed more and more signs that something had happened. He turned to look at the statue again and noticed a distinct blackened spot near the bottom of the statue, as if it had been lit on fire and put out. Clay frowned before speaking.</span>
</p><p> 
  <span>“What happened here?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ain’t you ever seen a Fire Nation raid?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ah!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Clay jumped, searching for the source of the voice, and finding an old woman standing next to him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sorry for startlin’ ya, didn’t think I ‘as being that quiet.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s ok. I was just lost in thought.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You wanted to know what happened ‘ere?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Clay nodded and the old woman continued.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We had an airbender here you see. Some people thought she was the Avatar, you know being an airbender and all. And apparently some Fire Nation soldiers heard she ‘as here and decided to attack. She fought to protect our village, but they took her in the end, then they up ‘n left.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Did you happen to see which direction they went?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The old woman thought for a moment before responding.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“East. I think.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thanks.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>With that Clay returned to looking at the statue of Kyoshi, going back into his thoughts. Something the old woman had said confused him. He was so lost in thought that he didn’t hear George approaching him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey Clay.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hi George.” Clay said quietly, still staring off into space.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t suppose you had any luck?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“There was an airbender here. Fire Nation soldiers took her.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Clay…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“My people are dead.” Clay said, turning to face George, “Aren’t they.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Clay I-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You knew. This whole time you knew and you didn’t tell me.” Tears threatened to spill from Clay’s eyes, “Why?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I- I wasn’t sure how. How do you tell someone that all of their people are gone? That anyone they ever cared about is probably dead, because it's been 60 years since all this started! How do you tell someone that? I should have told you sooner, and I’m sorry for that, but I just couldn’t figure out how.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sylvee is the airbender that was here.” It came out as more of a statement than a question.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Probably yeah.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“One airbender escaped, my Gran Gran, she settled down in the South Pole to hide from the Fire Nation. She had a daughter, my mum, who had seven children. Six airbenders and me the only waterbender.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Clay turned to look back at the statue again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner. I should have…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>George turned to look at the statue, the two just standing there in silence. After a little while, Clay spoke up.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“They went east.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We have to follow them. But Clay are you…?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m okay,” Clay said with a small smile, “I think a distraction would be good right about now.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>George nodded before walking away towards Patches. Clay took one last look at the statue and then followed behind him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>…</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>It didn’t take them long to find the ship. Once they knew which way to go, finding it was easy. As they flew closer the two prepared for combat. Clay pulled out the sword hilt he purchased earlier in the day, drawing a confused look from George. Before he could ask about it, they reached the ship. Clay landed Patches right on top of a soldier, effectively incapacitating them. Clay and George leapt off of Patches, George wielding his water, while Clay had a slightly different approach. He channeled air into the sword hilt, creating a wind sword. The wind formed a barely visible sword with a curved blade-like shape, the wind forming it constantly moving and shifting. He swung it at the first of the Fire Nation soldiers who attacked, the blade connecting and causing the soldier to be knocked over. Clay blasted several oncoming soldiers with wind from his off hand, carving a path forward. He and George pushed through the hoard of soldiers like a whirlwind, knocking soldiers down left and right. Clay would knock them over, either with a blast of wind from his off hand or from a strike from his sword, and then George would use his water to freeze them in place. The pair fought like a well-oiled machine, pushing their way through the soldiers, until finally they made it to the holding cells. They found Sylvee sitting in a cell, looking at them with wide eyes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sylvee!” George yelled.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“George!?” Sylvee said, “What are you doing here?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Saving you apparently. Come on.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Clay opened the cell door by using his wind sword as a lever to pull the door off its hinges. Sylvee stepped out of the cell, giving Clay a nod, before looking behind him and gasping. Clay turned around and saw a terrible sight. Before him was a Fire Nation soldier, holding George hostage with a sword to his throat.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Stop right there,” the soldier demanded, “Not one more move or I’ll kill him.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“George!” Clay yelled, moving to help him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I said no moving!” The soldier said, “You take another step and he’s dead.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Let him go,” Clay said, trying to regain control of the situation.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I think not,” the soldier said, “Guess an airbender or two survived after all. We’ll have to fix that.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Please just let him go.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I call the shots here,” the soldier demanded, pressing his blade closer to George’s throat, “You listen to what I say, or your friend here dies.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Please just don’t hurt him,” Clay pleaded.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You and your friend are going to get back into that cell; we’re gonna lock you both up,” the soldier said smugly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Clay looked around desperately for anything he could use to turn the tide, to free George, anything. He found nothing and found himself becoming more and more desperate to regain control of the situation. Clay had never felt so powerless in his life. In that moment, his eyes began to glow, and he entered the Avatar State. The rest of the fight was a blur, he wasn’t quite sure what happened. Next thing he knew, George was calling his name, telling him to calm down. He latched onto George’s voice and felt himself calming down. He felt really tired, like he had just fought an entire army alone. Clay looked around, trying to get his bearings. The Fire Nation soldier was unconscious, and the room had a significantly large number of new burn marks, as well as some icicles sticking out of the walls. The thing that most caught his attention, however, was the brand new cut on George’s cheek.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What happened?” Clay asked, still a little dazed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You went into the Avatar State.” George said, “And saved me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He also almost killed you.” Sylvee pointed out.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?” Clay said, whipping around to look at Sylvee.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“When you attacked the soldier, one of your attacks grazed George, don’t you remember?” Sylvee asked, looking at Clay curiously.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I- I can’t remember anything from when I enter the Avatar State.” Clay said, looking down at his hands with an expression of guilt.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You mean you can’t control the Avatar State?!” Sylvee practically yelled, “That’s really bad!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sylvee stop, you're making him feel bad.” George interrupted, “Now come on we have to get you back to the South Pole.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh come on George.” Sylvee said, now searching through the room for her glider, “You know I’ll just run away again. Plus, I think I might be able to help Clay with something.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What could you possibly help him with?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I think I can help him get control over the Avatar State.”</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Alright, that's it for now. Hope you enjoyed it.<br/>Next Chapter should be up at some point, but in the meantime I do have some recommendations if you want something to watch or read while you wait.</p><p>Our first recommendation is a Dream video. I imagine some of you will have seen it but regardless today's recommendation is:<br/>Minecraft, But It's a Zombie Apocalypse<br/>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VSNMNM8Qouw</p><p>Now if you wanted something a bit less watchy to read I have a great DNF fic for you. I personally have read this fic multiples times, its quite enjoyable:<br/>7 Minutes in Heaven, But it's 7 Days in Florida by Ship_On_The_Sea<br/>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24531610/chapters/59231065</p><p>And with that I'm done for now. Avengers Assemble, you're up allyouneedisCas.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. The Bridge Between Worlds</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Sylvee teaches Clay to go into the Avatar state and unleashes something unexpected. Later, George shares his favorite childhood fable with Clay.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Ha ha! Yes! I will raise Mjölnir to the heavens and - dammit! I left it at home. Hey guys, allyouneedisCas here. I need to go back to Asgard and grab my hammer real quick, so I'll just leave this chapter here for you. Be right back!<br/>Oh! Before I go, I have a brief warning/disclaimer: George is ashamed of his colorblindness, so there's some self-shaming in here. In our version of the Avatar world, people have colorblindness, but it's not talked about and it's rare, so naturally George feels self-conscious about it and is worried there's something wrong with him. But to be clear, there's nothing wrong with being colorblind in any world, fictional or real.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>The wind rippled through George's hair, as he stared at the map. He was trying to figure out which land mass they were closest to. There were no labels on it! That's what he got for buying a map from pirates. He considered turning Patches around and demanding his money back.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"George, I told you, I can help Clay. And I am not going home," Sylvee said, out of nowhere.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"I already said you can stay," George didn't look up from the map, "But if we get in another fight, you have to hide until it's over."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"You're really gonna sideline the best bender here!?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"You think you're better than the Avatar?" George turned to her and raised his eyebrow.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"An untrained Avatar? Most definitely."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>George scoffed and looked over at Clay, expecting him to argue that she was underestimating him just like everyone else did, but he just stared out across the glistening blue blur beneath them. His head balanced between his hands. He'd barely said anything since they left the ship… Was it what happened in the Avatar state? Or… The air nomads…</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sylvee started to say something else, a smug look on her face, but George interrupted her, "Remember when you attacked those kids, and you broke two fingers. You're reckless! I don't care how good you think you are. I have never known anyone, in my entire life, who gets hurt as often as you."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Maybe that's because I can count the number of friends you have with one hand, or, more accurately, no hands."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>George pursed his lips, pressing them so tightly together that his mouth seemed to disappear. Neither of them said anything. Their silence stretched further than the ocean below.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sylvee puffed out her lower lip and drew her eyebrows together in an exaggerated frown looking silly despite her best attempt to be serious. George thought she secretly did it on purpose. It was endearing and hard to ignore. It always worked.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"They were bullies," Sylvee muttered, "I saw them throwing rocks at an arctic hen."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>George sighed, "I just don't want you to get hurt."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"To avoid getting hurt is to avoid life itself."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Never thought I'd hear you quote Dad."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"I don't always disagree with him, and Gran Gran says we need to stop and listen, waiting for a small truth that becomes a seed of growth."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"If that's true then just listen to me for a second. Please. I'm letting you come with but only if you do your best not to get involved. If you don't - then, well then you're going back home."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"How are you gonna make her go home?" Clay asked, smirking to himself.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Oh, he'd find a way. He could figure out how to get his little sister home, if he had to. Right?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"I'd send her home on Patches, she'll know where to go," he tried.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Right," Clay countered, "So how would we travel? Would we go to Omashu on my glider?" Clay scooched closer to the bickering siblings, "I thought you didn't like it, Georgie."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"I don't know," George spluttered, "We'd figure it out, I guess."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"I am going with you then," Sylvee prompted.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>George confirmed it, for possibly the fourth time that day.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Then, why are we headed back home?" She asked, grabbing the map.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>George blinked a few times. She rolled her eyes and gestured to the horizon, pointing to a spherical glacier nearby, one of the landmarks they used to navigate around the South Pole. It was only a few miles from their house. Oh. Oh, wow. They were almost back where they started. Maybe they needed Sylvee for more than just training Clay. She took the reins and brought Patches down, declaring that she might as well train Clay to make up for all their backtracking.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>… </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Clay slid off Patches' back, the impact with the ground sending a small shockwave up his body. He hadn't bothered cushioning the fall with airbending. He scratched Patches' leg and she rumbled, her purring shaking him off-balance. It was a lot. Too much. And he was starting to feel like he was drowning in it. If he couldn't float, maybe he could just drown more quietly. He smiled at George who, yet again, glanced over at him. Nodding to him, and then immediately wondering why he'd done something so awkward, Clay followed Sylvee to an open, snowy patch of packed ice, where she plopped down, crossing her legs and pushing her two fists against each other. She gestured at the ground in front of her.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>George eased himself to the ground next to his sister and mirrored her position. Clay collapsed onto the snow, across from Sylvee and next to George. He reluctantly drew one leg over the other and put his fists together. Sylvee opened her eyes and stared at George.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"You can't come with us," she said to her brother.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"But I'm the only one here who's completed this ritual," he retorted.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Yes, so while you'll only be able to tell him what to do, I can show him," George started to argue but Sylvee continued, "Besides, somebody has to guard our bodies while we're in the spirit world, and you said that I was too weak to fight, remember?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>George groaned and uncrossed his legs, muttering something about twisting his words. Sylvee closed her eyes again and Clay squinted, pretending to close his. He hated meditating. It was boring. Also, he sucked at it, which was the exact reason it was boring, according to Suyin, his mentor and kind of friend. He really didn't need to be thinking about her right now. She'd probably died with the rest of the Air Nomads. He wished so many times that she'd leave him alone, but he never wanted her gone forever. Briefly considering whether this was a cruel joke the universe had played on him, he shook his head. He needed to focus. Increasing the pressure between his tensed fists, he tried to bring himself back to the present. He sighed. Hearing the soft murmur of flowing water, he opened one eye. George twisted a small stream above their heads. He manipulated it into a downwards spiral, then curled it up into a figure eight pattern. Mesmerized, Clay stared openly at the dancing trickle in the sky. It caught the sunlight and glistened like jewels. He looked down at George and saw the tip of his tongue sticking out of the corner of his mouth. When George caught his eye, he smiled - a delicate little uptick on the edge of his lips. Clay beamed back, in awe of the master waterbender.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"George! Stop doing that! And Clay! Close your eyes!" Sylvee ordered.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Clay quickly squeezed his eyes shut. How did a squeaky, overconfident 12-year-old manage to sound more intimidating than monks five times her age? Taking a quieter tone (maybe noticing how much she'd startled him), Sylvee guided him through some breathing exercises. She taught him to slow down and just… Breathe, so that his spirit and body could catch up to his mind and untether him from his physical form. He felt himself enter a deep trance. It was sort of relaxing. Then she told him to open his eyes and stand up. That seemed way too easy… He was expecting a long, complicated process. Whatever. He shrugged and stood up. Then he looked down. His body was blue and completely transparent! Was he dead! A ghost?! Before he could freak out Sylvee put her hand on his shoulder.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"This," she gestured to his light blue form, "is your spirit. And look behind you."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He turned around. His physical body still rested in the snow, looking peaceful and content. Sylvee was also pale blue and see through, with her small body sitting cross-legged behind her. His spirit had left his body! He remembered something the monks had told him about the spirit world… He waved his hand in front of George's face. When he didn't react, Clay stuck his tongue out and made silly faces at him. People couldn't see or hear anything that happened in the spirit world. Sylvee tried to look stern, but ended up giggling.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"So, I've never done this ritual before, but I was supposed to do it later this year, so Gran Gran told me all about it," she continued, "Just watch."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She swiveled in place, facing her physical body. Leaning down, she carefully grabbed her double's hand and as she pulled, a shiny, transparent, golden hand clasped her own. Yet another Sylvee emerged from her physical body. Beautiful, golden, shimmering. Holding hands with her double, she swept a hand up and down in front of the copy, demonstrating her technique to her class of one. Then she bowed to her golden form, and the copy bowed in return. The two began a complex dance. Weaving in and out, twirling around their physical body. Flowing together then drifting apart. Clay thought he recognized a few airbending forms, but this display went beyond any of his lessons from the Nomads. They leaped and swayed on their toes, twirling in mirrored pirouettes. Finally, Sylvee, the blue spirit one, broke away and left the shimmering golden blur skipping and spinning around her physical body.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"I don't really remember what it's called. But this practice balances the three aspects of yourself: mind, body, and spirit."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sylvee explained that her grandmother had devised this ritual as an alternative to opening your chakras. Their grandmother had thought of it when her daughter was born. Apparently, it had been so beautiful, it had given the woman a spiritual epiphany, and she'd had visions of shimmering spirits.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"I personally think it was just the pain medicine that the midwife gave her, but it is really pretty. Also, all spirits look the same, see how we're both blue, but each person's mind looks different. Unique," Sylvee admired the golden apparition twirling around her body.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"How do I do all that dancing stuff?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Oh! You… Like, feel a connection - between you, your mind, and your body. And then it just… Happens! And apparently each dance looks different too."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Clay hesitantly turned to his own body. He reached down for his body's hand. He stopped. Sighing, he looked over at George, hoping for a distraction. The waterbender was lying down in the snow, blowing some hair out of his eyes. Sylvee stood next to Clay, encouraging him to try. He bit lip and edged closer to his body. Extending his fingers out, he touched his physical body's hand. The minute the two brushed together, spiritual energy exploded out from Clay's body, flinging the two airbenders backwards. A large column of blinding blue light burst from the top of the body and reached far into the sky. As far as either of them could see. Wrenching his eyes away from the pillar of light, George scrambled up towards their physical bodies, checking to see if they'd woken up. They hadn't. Clay realized his physical body's eyes were open though, and glowing the same bright blue as the light in the sky. Behind his body, a line of people stretched into the distance. Well, he wouldn't call them people. Bright white and almost opaque, they looked like wisps of steam churning in a whirlwind making the shapes of people of all different sizes. They all copied his body's pose exactly. All sitting on the ground. Legs crossed. Fists together. Glowing blue eyes wide open, gazing forward.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Clay looked at Sylvee, frozen in place. She couldn't guide him this time. He walked toward the first white figure in the infinite line. Grabbing its hand, he tugged upwards, and it rose, leaving the swirling smoke behind like a light mist. As the white smoke fell away, an old man was revealed. Gaunt with a trimmed white beard and long white hair, partially raised in a bun on the top of his head. He wore long red robes with Fire Nation insignia. Avatar Roku, his mind supplied, the Avatar before me. How did he just know that? Roku took a step towards Clay and the young airbender retreated, hovering protectively over his physical body. But Roku just stood, glowing blue eyes trained on Clay's body. One by one, down the line the figures stood up, mist receding and revealing all of his past lives. They advanced, circling his body until he couldn't see anything beyond the crowd of past Avatars, their glowing blue eyes trained on his body. He searched for Sylvee, desperate for some advice. But couldn't find her. Then, all of their eyes began to go out one at a time and the glowing column of light came down, until it met with his body and his body's eyes dimmed too. Instinctively, Clay knelt down and positioned himself to occupy the same space as his physical body. Before he shut his eyes, he saw the crowd bearing down on him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>When he opened his eyes, he'd returned to the physical world. Just for a second, he still saw that crowd of Avatars around him. Then they disappeared. He felt something tighten in his chest, spiritual energy welling up within him. Now he could now go into the Avatar state any time wanted. Sylvee ran over to George and started rambling incoherently. Clay started to walk over to them to help figure this weirdness out, when a woman with yellow and orange monk robes and blue arrow tattoos appeared in front of him. She appeared to him here in the physical world. Something unheard of. Impossible. Before him, looking as real as he was, stood his own past life. Avatar Yangchen.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>…</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>George had known something was wrong when he'd seen the giant pillar of blue light. This could have been normal for the Avatar… Yet, the shockwave was enough to force him backwards. More concerning was the fact that he could see the light even though he'd stayed in the physical world. He rushed over to Sylvee and Clay. He considered trying to wake them, but he chided himself; it was impossible for anyone else besides the person in the spirit world to rejoin a spirit and body. But what else could he do? Clay's eyes glowed bright blue. They hadn't anticipated how the Avatar might respond to this ritual. After all, Suyin had developed it only a few decades ago. So stupid. They should never have tried it.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Breaths rapidly increasing, he gripped Clay's shoulder, trying to shake him out of the Avatar State. Then, as quickly as it had emerged, the glowing column descended from the sky and back into Clay. Sylvee woke up, and Clay's eyes faded back to their normal color. Darkish yellow… Probably brown? Maybe green. He should really ask sometime. His little sister tugged at the sleeve of his blue tunic, pulling him away from the Avatar. She started rambling about how there were explosions and so many spirits, her words bursting out, demolishing each other before they left her mouth. He'd heard her stumble over her words like this before, usually in an emergency. She needed to calm down. One breath at a time. One thought at a time. She started nibbling her nails, drawing blood from the tips of her fingers.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"There's something wrong… It didn't work… What even was that?" Sylvee mumbled.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"What do you mean it didn't work? Sylvee, what did you see?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"I don't know!" A panicked squeak slipped out, "There were so many! There's only supposed to be one. One! One mind. He had, I don't know, a hundred maybe?!"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Like a hundred identical copies of Clay?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"No, more like…" Sylvee gnawed on her nails, overwhelmed and trying to understand what she'd seen.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A few feet away, Clay was having a heated conversation with thin air. While George and Sylvee talked he'd gotten louder and louder, until he almost screamed. Ranting about how she didn't know what was out there, swearing at an empty space, claiming that her asinine traditions ruined everything.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"I don't need you!" Clay yelled, "I never needed any of you. Not your rules or your stupid ideals." He started to walk away and then turned back to the empty space behind him. "Back off, Yangchen!"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Is he talking about our older sister?" George asked Sylvee.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sylvee's mouth fell open and she gasped, pieces finally clicking into place.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"No, George. I think he's talking to Avatar Yangchen."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She told him about the line of people, finally realizing that they must have been all of Clay's past lives. The ritual had brought his mind, spirit, and body together, but balancing a hundred different minds into one body… It may have driven him mad.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"No, I don't think he's crazy…" George glanced over at Clay and shifted his weight uncomfortably, "He just needs a distraction. Something to remind him he's… Him."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sylvee seemed relieved that George knew what to do. He looked away quickly, so she wouldn't see his grimace. If he was wrong about this, she might have just stripped the Avatar of his sanity. Dooming the world to violent conquest at the hands of the Fire Nation. Well, that made it sound dramatic, didn't it? It would also mean she'd ruined the mind of the most brilliant, caring, and clever man George had met. Probably less important, but it didn't feel that way. Not to George. Breathing deeply to stave off hyperventilation, he called out to Clay. He cringed at the forced cheerfulness in his tone. There was something he could show Clay. A way to ground him as it had grounded George so many times. Distantly, he heard his boots crunching beneath the snow as he closed the distance between them. He formed a small ice boat and climbed in, inviting Clay to join him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>…</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The journey was quiet and the boat was very small. George's knees pressed lightly into Clay's. Then, smiling, George urged him to turn around in his seat. Their boat glided toward George's favorite place in the world, his masterpiece. His recreation of the Northern Water Tribe's Spirit Oasis. As they approached, Clay's head tilted upwards. Before them was an enormous temple. Miles high and miles long. Each story became slightly smaller the higher you looked. The layers were separated by an almost straight roof with a slight bump in the middle. There was a small arch-shaped window in each level, just a carved hole really. At the top most layer, there was a huge circular sign with the symbol of the Water Tribe, surrounded by a string of smaller carved circles. The roof of the building was a wide dome. Such a complex design, yet the entire structure was made completely out of solid ice and packed snow.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>As Clay marveled, George held out his hand to help his friend out of their makeshift dingy. George led him to the front of the daunting structure. The door sculpted of ice would look exactly like wood, if not for the reflections from the ice and the white of the snow. It was small and circular with a working hinge, it had taken him months to figure out how to make a hinge out of ice. The door was set in a frame with two stout planks and an archway on top almost shaped like the roof of a pagoda. The top of the door only reached their stomachs. A rushing hiss emanated from behind the door. George opened it and looked expectantly at Clay, who stooped down and walked in.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Inside, a lake extended far in every direction. The walls were cut and crafted to look like sheer cliffs. Two paths ran along the sides of the room. At the back, two waterfalls flowed into the lake. The first was at the top of the building and more of a large stream of falling water. It collected into a small pool before spilling into the second, larger waterfall and crashing into the artificial lake. In the center of the body of water sat an island. Two bridges connected the island to the paths weaving along the edges of the room.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The island had a large archway, exactly like the frame of the small door outside, except it had another circular Water Tribe symbol carved into it. Clay ran towards the island, face lighting up almost like a child's. He raced across the edge of the path but stopped in the middle of one of the two bridges. As George walked up behind Clay, he saw the man staring intently at the ground. It was snow, something George had seen all his life, but the snow had been artfully disturbed to look like grass. There was other "vegetation" on the island, as well. Scattered with small sculpted ferns and rocks made of packed snow. Behind the archway, a few larger boulders framed a bamboo forest made of ice. Large bushes with triangular leaves sculpted from ice flanked the forest, with several delicate flowers blossoming in ice on each bush. In the center of the island was a large pond. Clay hesitated again.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"It's not hard to make it look like grass," George said, having a feeling that was what held him back.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Clay wandered forward to the pool and saw the two life-sized koi fish statues in the pond. They were curved so that together they formed a circle. As Clay peered at them, George shifted his weight and guided his hands to bend the two fish, pushing and pulling them in a flowing, never-ending circle.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"This is the most spiritual place in the entire North Pole," George claimed.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Clay raised an eyebrow, and George chuckled.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"More specifically, it's a recreation of it, made just off the coast of the South Pole," George continued.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"It's…" Clay trailed off, still taking it in.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"It took me years."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"What made you… Why…?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"There was this story my grandmother told me whenever I had nightmares. And it had this place in it. I'd come here and work on it whenever I felt… Overwhelmed." </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They both lounged under the archway. George still idly spun the fake koi in their circles. He let his eyes slip closed. It wasn't actually a spiritual place, but he still felt a calming presence whenever he visited. Sitting under the large domed ceiling, beams of light trickled in from the series of windows. The gentle crash of the waterfalls behind them formed a peaceful, centering noise in his mind. He felt so warm here, despite all the snow and ice. Clay began muttering under his breath and looking off to the side. George's eyes flew open. Another conversation with someone invisible. He scoured his mind for a distracting topic.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"What color are your eyes?" George blurted out.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Clay promptly stopped talking and stared at him. What a stupid question. A normal person would know that. No! Now he'd think there was something wrong with George.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"I mean are they like green or, I don't know, hazel? I mean, I've never really looked at them much, but I was just wondering because your face is usually not looking at my face and there's shadows-"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"They're green. Bright green," Clay looked concerned.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The rambling had made it worse! What could he say? Maybe that each nation had a different word for colors so he'd gotten confused? That made no sense. That was dumb. Okay. Okay. Damage control. He was just joking?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"What was the story your grandmother used to tell you?" Clay asked.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Huh?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"You said this place was from a story?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Oh," George exhaled, relieved by the topic change, "Well, it's a real place. It's the Spirit Oasis in the North Pole. My Gran visited it when she was," he almost said, searching for the next Avatar in the cycle, but stopped himself, "... Traveling. They call it the most spiritual place in the North Pole, because it's the home of two spirits. Tui and La. Moon and Ocean." He gestured to the two koi fish ice sculptures which he continued to move in slow circles around each other in his pond. These were representations of the physical forms of the two spirits.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Clay hummed, "Not really much of a story then."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"That wasn't the story," George replied, coyly.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"I see…"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Actually, Princess Yue was the reason I built this place."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"A princess?" He gasped, exaggerated and goofy, "Georgie? Are you in love?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"With a princess that died hundreds of years ago? No. I am, not." He huffed. It would be easier if he could love princesses, wouldn't it?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Tell me the story."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>George wasn't sure about that… He'd never told the story to anyone before. Never even tried to tell a story, for that matter. He wasn't exactly a performer. But Clay gazed into his eyes, eagerly. Not even bothering to hide his grin, the airbender crossed his legs and folded his hands in his lap. George took a deep breath. He knew the tale of Yue and the two brothers by heart. While he spoke, he bent the two koi sculptures around each other. Tui and La. Forever circling each other in an eternal dance.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Centuries ago, there were two identical twin brothers, Zhao-Ling and Zhao-Zwei. They lived in the Earth Kingdom city of Gaoling. Zhao-Zwei, a prominent scholar and archeologist, had left for several years on an expedition into the Si Wong Desert. He returned home to terrible news. Their father, Tyro, had died in a prison in the Northern Water Tribe's capital city, Agna Qel'a.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"I thought this was a story about a princess," Clay interrupted.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"I was just about to get to her. You literally interrupted me right before she comes into the story."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Clay mumbled an apology.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tyro, two and a half decades earlier, had gone with his pregnant wife to the Northern Water Tribe to find a healer. She had been behaving strangely, and he feared she was sick. She felt so faint, she struggled to walk, and she complained of severe back pain. When the healers of the Tribe cared for her during the last months of her pregnancy. Finally, she gave birth to twins, who they named Zhao-Ling and Zhao-Zwei. Overjoyed, Tyro drank wine on the wall's edge with a few friends he'd made around the city. They drank until the early morning and soon began to argue. Tyro shoved one of his friends in frustration. It was only a slight push, but the other man slipped and fell from the wall. His friend died instantly. Ashamed, Tyro turned himself over to court and was imprisoned. The charge was just, and he served his time honorably. He told his wife to return to Baoling. He wanted them to live where he'd lived, in all the comforts of their family home. And so, Zhao-Ling and Zhao-Zwei grew up only ever hearing stories of their father. And they would never meet him, as he fell ill and died mere weeks before his sentence was to end.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Being a deeply spiritual people, the Northern Tribe formally invited his two sons to attend his funeral in Agna Qel'a. The two made the long journey to the North Pole. As the weeks went by, Zhao-Zwei described his trip into the desert. He'd discovered a library with a menacing, yet intellectual owl spirit. The two, spirit and man, had debated for hours on every subject known to man - and some entirely unknown to man. Zhao-Zwei had access to all the knowledge in the spirit's library and he'd learned much. When the two brothers bedded down each night, Zhao-Ling would softly cry himself to sleep, while his brother just stared into the flames, late into the night, until his drowsiness caused him to collapse. As the time wore on, Zhao-Ling began to feel more at peace, beginning the difficult process of acceptance. But Zhao-Zwei made no such strides. He stayed up later and later into the night, becoming bitter. Dark circles formed under Zhao-Zwei's eyes, and he talked less frequently the closer they got to Agna Qel'a.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Finally, they arrived. The city was filled with beautifully crafted houses and walls of ice on the side of a great hill. At the top of the hill was the palace, home of the Chief and his daughter, Princess Yue. The Chief himself invited the brothers to dine in the palace with him and his family. Their father had been the only Earth Kingdom prisoner they'd ever had, and though he had wronged them in the past, they respected him for paying his penance. They wished to extend that honor and respect to his sons.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Almost the entire city attended the feast in the massive banquet hall of the castle. Three men beat loud drums and the Chief bellowed, somehow easily heard over the thunderous noise.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Tonight, we honor two sons whose father was a friend to the Tribe and has tragically died while atoning for his grave mistake," George tried, and epically failed, to do Suyin's deep and commanding chieftain voice. He blushed, momentarily embarrassed, before resuming the story.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The twin brothers sat on a raised pedestal with the royal family. As Zhao-Ling took his seat, he saw for the first time, a gorgeous young woman just a couple years younger than himself. She had stark white hair pulled up in the traditional split ponytail with two thick braids hanging on either side of her head. Her eyes were bright piecing blue. She smiled shyly at him, and he was in love instantly.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Hi there. Zhao-Ling, from the city of Baoling." He winked.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Very nice to meet you. I am Princess Yue of the Northern Water Tribe," she replied.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They ate in awkward silence for a moment, Zhao-Ling constantly glancing at her from the corner of his eye.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"So… uh… You're a princess, huh?" He asked. She nodded eagerly and he continued, "You know, back in my city, I'm kinda like a prince myself."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Prince of what?" Zhao-Zwei scoffed.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"A lot of things. Do you mind? I'm trying to talk to Princess Yue."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"My apologies, Prince Zhao-Ling," Zhao-Zwei intoned, dryly. He bowed and went back to his food.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Despite his awkward flirting, Yue was charmed by Zhao-Ling and invited him to go sight-seeing with her. She told him to meet her late the next night. He thought it would be romantic to tour the city at night, but she had other reasons for choosing that late hour. Zhao-Ling spent the entire next day getting ready for his date with the princess. Meanwhile, Zhao-Zwei walked around the city, asking people about a location he'd read about in the library. He had to find it before they left. Had to repay the Water Tribe for everything it had done to him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>When evening came, Yue and Zhao-Ling met and strolled along the many canals and bridges in Agna Qel'a. They stopped in the middle of a bridge to admire the shining moon. It was full and so bright it was almost like daytime. He leaned in towards her for a kiss, but she placed her hand between their lips.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"I'm sorry," she whispered, "I made a mistake. I shouldn't have asked you to come here."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She looked away and he tilted her head back to face him. Hurt and confusion weighed on his normally handsome face. He thought he knew why she didn't want him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"I think you're beautiful and I never thought someone like you would ever notice a guy like me. You're a princess and I'm…"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She grabbed his hand and looked into his eyes. Tears slid down her cheeks. But she shook her head.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"No, I do like you! But we can't be together. I'm married."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Seven years earlier, she'd married a man named Hahn. A boarish man who she didn't love and had only married out of duty. She knew she should stay faithful to her husband, but she buckled to the whims of her heart.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Let me take you somewhere," Yue said. And she brought him to the Spirit Oasis. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>George gestured to the place he'd spent years building. This ice structure was a recreation of the place Yue had taken Zhao-Ling. Clay looked around the giant room with a new appreciation, becoming even more engrossed in the story. It felt like they were the two lovers as they hid in the Spirit Oasis under the pale light of the full moon.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"This place is the center of all spiritual energy in our land," Yue told Zhao-Ling, "I've always felt a special connection to this place. I owe the moon spirit my life."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>When Yue was born, she was very sick and very weak. Most babies cry when they're born, but she was born as if she were asleep, her eyes closed. Their healers did everything they could, but it wasn't enough. They told her mother and father that she was going to die. The Chief pleaded with the spirits to save her. That night, beneath the full moon, he brought her to the Oasis and placed her into the pond. Her dark hair turned white, she opened her eyes and began crying, and they knew she would live.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"That's why my mother named me Yue, for the moon," she concluded.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They turned to each other and, unable to fight it any longer, kissed. Just as their lips met, Zhao-Zwei burst into the Oasis holding a knife. He'd found what he was looking for. Chastised, the couple broke apart. Zhao-Ling begged his brother not to say anything. But Zhao-Zwei didn't care about their forbidden tryst. He'd been searching for the Spirit Oasis to find Tui and La, the two koi fish - the physical forms of moon and ocean spirits. He'd come across a scroll about them in the library, deep in the Si Wong Desert. The Water Tribe had taken his father from him, so he would take something from them - the moon. Without the moon, they wouldn't be able to waterbend. They would feel loss the same way Zhao-Zwei had felt the loss of his father for the last 25 years. Zhao-Zwei ran up to the pond and snatched Tui out of the pool.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>George used bending to lift his sculpture of Tui out of the pond he'd made.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tui wriggled helplessly in Zhao-Zwei's hand. The world started to tip out of balance. Everything was washed in a haze of red. La swam anxiously around the pond, and Yue collapsed into Zhao-Ling's arms, her connection to the moon spirit caused her to share its pain and fear. Screams erupted throughout the city and the city's warriors came running to the Spirit Oasis. But they were too late. Zhao-Zwei stabbed Tui and dropped its corpse back into the pond.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>George snapped his sculpture in half and let the pieces fall back into the water. Clay let out a small gasp.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>When the moon spirit died, the moon vanished from the sky, and the world was out of balance. It looked like it would be the beginning of an era of darkness. Zhao-Zwei ran to the door, urging his brother to follow. The soldiers would be there soon. With Yue still cradled in his arms, Zhao-Ling looked scornfully on his brother. Ruled by his fear of the repercussions, Zhao-Zwei reluctantly left his brother and ran into the pitch-black night. Yue pushed herself away from Zhao-Ling and crawled towards the pool, gingerly picking up Tui.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Their world was washed in waves of grey, the imbalance sapping all color and life from the world. Everything around them was grey, except for Yue. Her eyes still shone bright blue and her hair stunning white. The moon spirit had touched her as a child, giving her some of its life. Maybe she could return its gift. She closed her eyes, and Tui glowed bright white.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>George froze his sculpture of Tui back together again.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Turning, Yue placed the spirit back into the pond and faded away, disappearing forever. The moon reappeared in the sky, reborn. Warriors flooded the room. They accused Zhao-Ling of attacking the moon spirit but as they moved to arrest him, a bright light filled the Oasis. A stunning woman with flowing white robes, bright white hair, and luminescent blue eyes floated above the pool. Yue had become the new moon spirit. Her sweet voice echoed across the room, even though she spoke softly. She told them Zhao-Zwei had killed the spirit and Zhao-Ling had chosen to stay behind with her to help restore balance. Then she faded away once again. Zhao-Ling sunk to his knees, having lost everything he had left. All in one night.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"That was depressing," Clay said.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Well, yeah. I suppose. But Yue watches over all waterbenders. She's kind and powerful. She was a person </span>
  <em>
    <span>who became a spirit</span>
  </em>
  <span>! That's pretty cool, right?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Everyone in that story died, George. Except Zhao-Ling," Clay frowned, "I guess I can relate to that."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Shit. How stupid could he be? Why would he tell Clay a story about so much death when he was still grieving for everyone he ever knew. He was such an idiot.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"I am so sorry! I wasn't thinking," George cried.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"It's fine really. It was a good story," Clay reassured him, "And you're totally in love with Princess Yue."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"I'm really not." George said. There was so much bitter acidity in those three words, that Clay shut his mouth and stared into the pond.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>George wished he was in love with Yue. He thought for a while he might have had a crush on her. When he was little, on particularly bad days - if his dad was being an asshole or everyone was ignoring him - he would dream of her bright blue eyes, and her melodic voice would whisper to him. When he'd wake up from those dreams, he'd feel warm and safe and really happy.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>But then, there'd been this boy in the village. His name was Junjie. He was a refugee from the Earth Kingdom. When Junjie and his family moved into the house next to theirs, George had felt things… Things that he should've felt for Yue, but realized, he didn't. Junjie still lived next door to them, and he'd grown to be painfully attractive. He was also happily married with three kids.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"So… Clay, who've you been talking to?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Oh… Um, my past lives… And I'm not crazy, they're real. It's just, I'm the only one who can see them."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>George frowned, and wondered if Clay had heard them talking about him earlier. Clay bit his lip, locking eyes with George. He hadn't framed his statement as a question, but George could tell he was waiting for a response. Sitting with him for the past hour or so, George felt warm and comfortable. If Clay said his past lives could appear to him, then George believed him. Weird stuff happened to the Avatar. And it would explain the massive amount of spiritual energy that had come from Clay's body.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Do they just appear randomly, then?" George asked.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Pretty much," Clay shrugged. "Yangchen, an Air Nomad Avatar, showed up right after I came back. I have… Issues with the monks. She brought up those issues."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"What kind of issues?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Just stupid rules. It doesn't really matter."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Okay," George muttered to himself. He wondered why Clay wouldn't talk to him, worrying that maybe he'd made the man uncomfortable somehow.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"I was actually confused when you started yelling about Yangchen. I thought you were talking about my older sister," George chuckled.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"You have a sister named Yangchen? What are the odds?" Clay grinned, shaking his head.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Pretty good, actually. She was named after Avatar Yangchen."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Why was she named after an Avatar?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>George paused. Suyin had named Yangchen in the hopes that she would have the grace and wisdom of, who his grandmother dubbed, the greatest Air Nomad Avatar. This could possibly offend Clay, but more importantly might lead to a conversation about why his grandmother was so interested in the Avatar. And with them so close to home… How could Clay not want to talk to her? Then she'd have Yunlaka train Clay and she'd accompany the young Avatar around the world and George… He'd be right back where he started. Living next door to Junjie.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"I guess my mum thought Avatar Yangchen had a pretty name."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Clay frowned and squinted at George. The pause and the anticlimactic answer might have revealed more than George intended. He jumped up and dusted the snow off his pants. They would need to leave soon, if they wanted to make any progress today. As they exited out the small door, freezing winds nearly knocked them over. George shivered, but Clay just flew away on his glider without a word. George sighed and stepped into his ice boat. He'd royally screwed things up. Just like always. As he sailed away, he thought again of Yue and felt just a little bit warmer.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Okay guys, I have Mjölnir! I'm ready! Wait a minute. ClericalCasket! Did you take down every single bad guy here?! Ugh, we talked about this!<br/>Anyways! Since there's nothing left for me to smash, I should probably go. Before I do though, we dropped a lot of lore in this chapter, so if you have any questions you can comment or send me an ask on my Tumblr: https://writerrobinarnett.tumblr.com<br/>If you're looking for something to watch, you should check out Sylvee's Among Us highlights. Watching her randomly accuse people is hilarious:<br/>There is an Imposter AMONG US<br/>https://youtu.be/o7y0qYfdQow<br/>For my reading rec, how about some angst with a satisfying ending? It's short but sweet:<br/>"I thought I lost you" by Ship_On_The_Sea<br/>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26687740<br/>Hey ClericalCasket, could you go get the last mirror shard from the City in the Sky? I want to do some shopping in the Twilight Realm.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Common Ground</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Clay and George talk, Clay reveals a bit more about his past, and his waterbending training begins.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>The sky city? Aw come on I was just getting into the good parts of the water temple. Ugh fine I'll go get the mirror.<br/>Anyways hello, ClericalCasket again, welcome to what I like to call "Let's just drop some lore here."<br/>Hope you enjoy the chapter, I included a bit of fun waterbending training to even out for the angst from last chapter.<br/>Enjoy! I'm gonna go grab the twilight mirror piece.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The cold air was harsh on Clay’s face as he flew back towards where they left Patches. He kept replaying the conversation with George in his head over and over again. He knew it was rude to leave but something had felt off to him. George wasn’t telling him something, and he could tell it was important. Clay let out a long sigh as he landed, so consumed by his thoughts that he didn’t even hear Sylvee calling his name. Clay felt hurt a little, he felt as though he could really trust George but clearly there was something George didn’t trust him with.</p>
<p>“To be fair, you haven’t told him everything yet either.” a voice said from behind him.</p>
<p>Clay jumped with a yelp and turned around. Standing behind him was the ghostly image of Avatar Kyoshi.</p>
<p>“You’re-”</p>
<p>“If you want my advice.” </p>
<p>“I don’t-”</p>
<p>“You can’t expect him to be honest with you, when you haven’t been honest with him.”</p>
<p>“I know.” Clay said with a sigh, running a hand through his hair.</p>
<p>“Friendships like the one you’ve begun forging with him can last a lifetime, but they must be built on trust.” Avatar Kyoshi said with a sad smile.</p>
<p>Clay let out another long sigh and turned away from the ghost of the past. He waited for what felt like hours, but was probably less than ten minutes, for George to return in his ice boat. Clay took a deep breath to steady himself before he walked over to George.</p>
<p>“George.” Clay said, “Can we talk?”</p>
<p>“Clay I-” George began.</p>
<p>“Talk on the way.” Sylvee said, “We have a lot of ground to make up.”</p>
<p>With that the three benders got onto Patches and began to fly away. Clay took several deep breaths and collected his thoughts before speaking aloud.</p>
<p>“George.” Clay began, “You’re keeping something from me.”</p>
<p>“Clay-” George started, stopping when Clay held up his hand.</p>
<p>“Please just let me talk for a minute.” Clay said, “You’ve been hiding something from me for a while now, please don’t deny. it I know you have. I really like you George, I want to be your friend, and normally a couple secrets wouldn’t destroy that, but I have a feeling whatever it is you’re hiding is important. Please George, just tell me.”</p>
<p>George let out a long sigh, eyes trained on his lap unable to meet Clay’s gaze.</p>
<p>“My gran gran, you know her.”</p>
<p>“What?”</p>
<p>“Suyin. You traveled with her before all of this began. She told us stories about how she traveled around the world with you. Helping you master the elements. I- I was scared that if I told you about her, she would try to come with us. And she wouldn’t have wanted me to teach you. I would have been left behind. I know I should have told you about her before and I’m sorry.”</p>
<p>Clay remained silent, Sylvee and George watching him intently. Clay’s expression had turned sour, not unlike his expression from when he was talking to Avatar Yangchen</p>
<p>“Clay please say something.” George pleaded.</p>
<p>“Is that the story she told you?” Clay said finally, “That she traveled around the world with me, helping me master the elements?”</p>
<p>George simply nodded, scared by the dark expression on Clay’s face.</p>
<p>“It’s funny. I don’t remember it that way.”</p>
<p>…</p>
<p>
  <b>63 years ago</b>
</p>
<p>Clay stormed out of the council meeting, anger clear on his face. Clay walked briskly to his room and grabbed his glider, fuming as he went. He couldn't’ believe it, they had banished him. HIM. He was the Avatar! He could still hear the words of the council in his head.</p>
<p>
  <em> “You’re just too violent.” </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em> “You have no respect for airbender tradition.” </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em> “We cannot allow you to represent the Air Nomads.” </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em> “A few years in banishment will do you some good.” </em>
</p>
<p>They had given him one more night to stay in the temple, his home for as long as he could remember, but he was to leave in the morning. Just as he was about to try to sleep, there was a knock at his door. Clay groaned when he saw who it was.</p>
<p>“Go away Suyin.” He said, turning to face away from her, “I don’t want to talk right now.”</p>
<p>“I take it the appeal went well.” She said, stepping inside regardless.</p>
<p>“They refused to listen to me.” Clay fumed, “Not that you care. You agree with them.”</p>
<p>“Your methods are too violent. You cannot expect to be considered an airbending master when you blatantly disrespect Air Nomad principles.”</p>
<p>“I don’t care about Air Nomad principles!” Clay yelled, turning angrily to face his former teacher.</p>
<p>“Whether you care about them or not, your training will not continue until you learn to respect them. I have been asked to watch over you while you are in your exile.”</p>
<p>“Great! I have a babysitter.”</p>
<p>“We will leave in the morning. I suggest you get some rest, Avatar Clay.”</p>
<p>Clay watched as Suyin left his room, angrily going to sit down. Clay closed his door behind her and went to his bed. He reached under the bed and pulled out the brown bag he had stored his supplies in. He would be leaving, but he had no intention of doing so with his former teacher.</p>
<p>…</p>
<p>“Wait! You were what!?” George exclaimed, “They banished you!? But you’re the avatar!”</p>
<p>“And Gran Gran wasn’t traveling with you but chasing you?” Sylvee asked.</p>
<p>“That about sums it up.” Clay said with a sigh, “So respectfully, I’d rather not go talk to her.”</p>
<p>“I can imagine not.” George said.</p>
<p>There was silence for a moment, as the two siblings processed the information they had been given. Before finally George spoke.</p>
<p>“I’m sorry.”</p>
<p>Clay gave him a curious look.</p>
<p>“That you were banished.” George clarified. “I don’t think they should have done that. Banish you I mean. You’re an amazing bender and traditions just muck things up for everyone. They shouldn’t have banished you.”</p>
<p>“Thanks George, that means a lot.” Clay smiled genuinely at George.</p>
<p>…</p>
<p>Later that day, George had approached Clay offering to begin his training with water bending. Clay had eagerly agreed to it, wanting to be able to add to his arsenal of bending abilities. And that was how he had found himself where he was now. Standing knee deep in a lake, with George in front of him.</p>
<p>“We’re going to start with an easy move.” George said, “I want you to push and pull the water. Like this.”</p>
<p>George demonstrated, moving his arms back and forth, causing small waves in the water. Clay took a moment to watch the movements, before he began doing the same. Steadily the water beneath him began moving in the same rhythmic pattern as the water George was bending.</p>
<p>“Like this?” Clay asked excitedly.</p>
<p>“Yes, exactly like that.”</p>
<p>The two continued the motions for several minutes, just creating small waves in the lake before George spoke again.</p>
<p>“Alright we’re going to try something a little more challenging.” George began, halting his motions, “Essentially what we’re going to do now is pass water back and forth between us.”</p>
<p>George started the exercise by lifting water and slowly passing it towards Clay, who bent it in a circle and passed it back to George. The two passed the water back and forth and George began to speak again.</p>
<p>“The purpose of this exercise is fluidity.” George explained, “Waterbending is all about change and being fluid. To bend water is to use that fluidity to go with the flow of the water.”</p>
<p>Clay nodded, completely absorbed in what George was saying.</p>
<p>“So Clay. If you don’t mind my asking, why didn’t you try to learn bending during your exile?”</p>
<p>George’s question caught Clay off guard, and he momentarily dropped his focus, losing some of the water. He quickly recovered the water he had lost and continued the exercise.</p>
<p>“I wasn’t allowed to.”</p>
<p>“What does that mean?”</p>
<p>Clay let out a sigh.</p>
<p>“In order to go onto the next element, I had to have a written letter of introduction to the next master I was supposed to train with, a <em> signed </em> letter of introduction. I didn’t have one, so no one would teach me.”</p>
<p>“But you clearly know some bending, how’d you learn it?”</p>
<p>“I taught myself.”</p>
<p>George’s eyes widened at that, but he didn’t lose his focus.</p>
<p>“You taught yourself how to bend?”</p>
<p>Clay almost shrugged but stopped himself.</p>
<p>“I pretty much taught myself how to airbend, I figured it wouldn’t be that difficult to learn by observing others and trying to teach myself how to do what they did.”</p>
<p>“Then why do you know so little?”</p>
<p>“I couldn’t exactly stay in one place for too long. Suyin made sure of that.”</p>
<p>George looked a little sad at the mention of his grandmother, and Clay began to talk again.</p>
<p>“Anyways, why were you trying to distract me by talking?”</p>
<p>“I thought it might help with the exercise if I distracted you.”</p>
<p>“How?”</p>
<p>“You act more on instinct if you aren’t paying attention, and if we build up your instinct to go with the flow of the water, we can improve your bending faster.”</p>
<p>“I see. And here I thought you just enjoyed my company.”</p>
<p>George let out a laugh, still not breaking his concentration.</p>
<p>“As if.”</p>
<p>The two continued their exercise for a little longer, until finally George let the water drop.</p>
<p>“There’s one more thing I want to try to teach you now.” George said, “I know you can melt ice into water, and I assume the other way as well, so I wanted to teach you a useful ability. Sylvee! Can you come over here for a second?”</p>
<p>Sylvee got up from her meditation and walked over to George and Clay.</p>
<p>“Would you mind assisting with a demonstration?” George asked.</p>
<p>“Sure.” Sylvee shrugged.</p>
<p>“Great, stand right in front of that tree.” George said.</p>
<p>Sylvee moved to stand in front of the tree while George motioned Clay to stand closer to him.</p>
<p>“This move is all about precision, but it’s very useful if you get it right. Sylvee please raise your hand as if you’re going to swing a sword.” George said. “Now imagine Sylvee is wielding a weapon of some kind and charging toward you. Watch.”</p>
<p>Sylvee did as instructed, and Clay watched as George lifted up a small orb of water and shot it towards her hand. As the orb of water connected to her hand, the orb solidified into ice and pulled her against the tree.</p>
<p>“Hey!” Sylvee yelled, “A little warning would have been nice!”</p>
<p>George paid her no mind and undid the ice holding her hand. He then turned to Clay.</p>
<p>“You’re turn.” George said with a small smile, “Just do exactly like I did.”</p>
<p>Clay turned to face Sylvee and proceeded to replicate what George did. He carefully aimed the orb at Sylvee’s hand and successfully pinned her to the tree again.</p>
<p>“Well done Clay!” George cheered, “We’ll make a waterbender out of you yet.”</p>
<p>Clay smiled big at George, muttering a small apology to Sylvee. Sylvee proceeded to roll her eyes and went back to meditating on the rocks, while George and Clay went back to their waterbending training, smiles etched on both of their faces.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Well that was fun. Love the sky city, well except for the boss. </p>
<p>That's all for this chapter I'm afraid, but in the meantime if you want recommendations for stuff to watch/read. well.</p>
<p>For watching I've decided to recommend a video from Dream shorts called Dream the explorer. It's really short but quite funny.<br/>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HmHXOpy7h7A</p>
<p>If you'd rather something to read take a one shot (technically it's a two shot if you read the follow-up, which I highly recommend) written about DNF take this one called My Dream: How DNF Broke the Internet Twice in the Span of Two Hours.<br/>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28445919</p>
<p>Hey AllYouNeedIsCas, I need you to go gather all the truth bullets for the class trial. I have to go create a useless floormap we won't use in the case.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Trapped in the Tunnel of Love</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>The team meets a band of singing nomads who lead them to a secret labyrinth that two lovers once used to escape their warring villages. One landslide later and George is forced to confront something that he’d rather ignore, in the worst possible location. Talk about setting the wrong mood.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Welcome to the obligatory Valentine’s Day episode! The game won’t let me leave, but I swear I clicked every single, possible thing in this entire room!! Where is the last truth bullet!?<br/>Anywho, enjoy this chapter while I run around the room in circles.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Yue's sparkling blue eyes locked with George's. Her hair and ribbons from her dress floated gently around her; it was like they were underwater. George felt himself slowly lifting, floating away from her. Her voice rang through his head, even though no sound left her lips. <em>It's time</em> <em>you fulfilled your destiny</em>, she whispered. He heard a loud rushing in his ears. Then Sylvee was shaking his shoulders. He stretched both arms out and yawned, rubbing his eyes. She looked grumpy, more so than usual anyway. Clay seemed like he wanted to say something but wisely stayed silent.</p><p>"Are we there already?" George asked, still stretching out the kinks in his back.</p><p>No one said anything and Sylvee just stared pointedly at Clay. The airbender cleared his throat.</p><p>"Well, um, yeah we're getting pretty close. But we're not there yet…" Clay said, hesitantly.</p><p>"Then why-"</p><p>Sylvee cut George off, "Because we have no water!"</p><p>George raised his eyebrows, as Sylvee, fuming, explained that Clay dumped their water off Patches trying to practice a waterbending move.</p><p>"Which form was he practicing?"</p><p>"It doesn't matter! He got rid of <em> all </em> the water! Bending water <em> and </em>drinking water!"</p><p>George frowned, what move was Clay practicing that involved that much water? Clay grinned at him.</p><p>"I invented a new form!" He exclaimed. When Sylvee glared at him, he bit his tongue and the two men stayed silent until Sylvee guided Patches down to a large lake. The three slipped off the sky bison and George immediately began bending water into all their pouches. Sylvee asked Clay to join her for spiritual training but he shook his head.</p><p>"Not right now, I wanted to show George something… Actually, could you help me with something?"</p><p>"Are you freaking kidding me?! Do I look like a training dummy to you?" Sylvee yelled, and turned on her heel stomping away.</p><p>"Maybe you should just demonstrate it on me, this time," George suggested. He was curious about this new technique, and he figured he could easily heal himself if Clay injured him.</p><p>The lake Sylvee had chosen to land at was more like a shallow depression in the earth, the water only came up to their ankles. They stopped next to a natural archway made of stone and George held out his arms in an expectant gesture. Not wasting time, Clay swung his hands in a smooth motion and collected a huge sphere of water between them. Then he separated it into a thick stream and encircled it around George. Suddenly, he drew the water tightly against George's chest and froze it around his torso.</p><p>"So the waterbending move you invented… Is an ice vest?"</p><p>George frowned, with a prodigy like Clay he expected… Well more than this chilly new apparel.</p><p>Clay smirked and jerked his hands right, dragging George's body with it. By bending the ice around his torso, he could actually move the other bender! It was ingenious! But still, he could think of a couple improvements, and it wouldn't do to let his student get a big head. He already had a bit of an ego problem. George hummed, adopting an unimpressed stare.</p><p>"Not bad. But, much like you, could be better."</p><p>"Oh, really?" Clay raised an eyebrow, yanking George forward so that they were only inches apart. "Because I think this worked out <em> exactly </em> the way I wanted it too," he whispered.</p><p>George blinked a few times and his cheeks flushed. He'd almost forgotten what he'd planned on doing. He shook his head.</p><p>"No, no. I think you forgot a couple things. For instance, this," George melted the ice around his body and with a splash, it rejoined the rest of the lake. Then, as Clay moved his hands to try and bend more water to replace it, George quickly moved a small blob of water to one of Clay's hands and froze it, before he could react to his frozen hand, George had encased the other hand and pulled Clay's hands together in front of him.</p><p>"Hard to bend when your hands are frozen, isn't it?" The smug smile on George's face only made Clay's grin widen.</p><p>"Hmm… Maybe… If I wasn't a firebender." He melted the ice on his hands and, his movements a blur, sent a jet of water at George's head. George coughed a little, spitting water out and wiping it from his eyes. He frowned and Clay worried that he'd actually offended his friend. Until George sent a huge wave to envelop Clay. Suddenly they were engaged in the most intense splashing war George had been a part of since he was seven. They bent water back and forth, popping in and out from behind the rock archway next to them. Finally, they collapsed into the water laughing.</p><p>Once they'd finished playing in the water, because as much as George wanted to call it training he didn't think Clay had learned anything from it, they realized that Sylvee still hadn't returned. Whenever she was gone for long periods, it usually meant something had happened to her. Something bad. He started walking in the direction he'd seen her leave and Clay trailed behind. What had his sister gotten herself into this time?</p><p>…</p><p>Just a couple minutes away from where they'd "trained," they found Sylvee nestled at the base of a tree surrounded by a group of travelling musicians. A woman, dressed in a bright pink and black outfit and a hat with a large lily, braided Sylvee's hair, humming while she weaved flowers through the strands. Nearby, a scruffy man with a flower necklace played dramyin and sang loudly, while two others danced with reckless disregard for their surroundings. George did not like the look of these people.</p><p>"George!" Sylvee called them over, smiling. "This is Lily," she gestured to the woman braiding her hair and then pointed to the man playing the dramyin, "and that's her husband, Chong!"</p><p>"Heyyyy!" Chong somehow drew the word out into three syllables. "Tree people!"</p><p>"We're not tree people!" George replied indignantly. Clay snickered into his fist.</p><p>"Then what kinda people are you?" Chong asked, genuinely confused.</p><p>"We're just… people," Clay shrugged.</p><p>"Aren't we all, brother."</p><p>"We were just talking about this amazing never-ending rainbow!" Sylvee chimed in.</p><p>George had to shut this down and quickly.</p><p>"Oh no! We have to get to Omashu, so Clay can find an earthbending master!"</p><p>Chong accused him of having a case of "destination fever," and Sylvee just glared at him. Oh for fuck's sake, these people were supposed to be nomads, isn't traveling like their thing?! After a few minutes of light music and awkward silence, Clay took pity on him.</p><p>"Yeah… I hate to admit it, but George is right, it's kind of… Urgent. I really need to master earthbending."</p><p>"Oh! It sounds like you're headed to Omashu!"</p><p>George smashed his hand into his forehead. One time didn't seem like enough though. He wanted to hit his head hard enough to go unconscious, anything to escape this conversation. He was about to facepalm again before Clay gently grasped his arm. His eyes skirted the line between amused and sympathetic. George sighed.</p><p>"We know a song about that place," Lily grinned, serenely.</p><p>George groaned. <em> Oh, please no! Please! </em> As Chong strummed a few chords and took a deep breath, George jammed his fingers into his ears. The rest of the scene unfolded blissfully muted. The other two nomads, whom he hadn't caught the names of, flailed around with a new intensity. Chong's mouth grew comically wide as he sang verse after verse. His wife pulled a flute seemingly out of nowhere. The only thing he heard was the phrase, "SECRET TUNNEL," shouted at the top of Chong's lungs. When the spectacle had ceased, George tentatively removed one finger. He relaxed. It was over. Everyone else was clapping… For some reason. </p><p>"Great song…" George lied, "But, like I said, we really have to go."</p><p>But Clay and Sylvee both wanted to travel via this so-called secret tunnel and their arguments were endless. It was, apparently, a faster, safer, more interesting, exciting, and less conspicuous route. George was stubborn enough to hold out against Sylvee, but once Clay joined in, he caved. And that was exactly where they were headed next… A cave.</p><p>Patches stalked ahead, setting a surprisingly fast pace considering her size. Sylvee skipped gleefully along next to her. It had taken little prompting to convince the panther bison to go with and sooner than George would've liked, they were nearing the cave. He drifted to the back of the group, with a slight nod of his head and a little helpless smile, he invited Clay to join him. Keeping his voice low, worried that the nomads might break into another song, he tried to get more information about this tunnel they were headed towards. Clay sidled up closer to George and told the shortened version of a story about two star-crossed lovers whose villages were at war, which led them to build tunnels to secretly meet each other without their families' knowledge. George pointed out that the two had probably made the tunnels challenging to navigate, in order to keep people from following them.</p><p>"All you need to do is trust in love," Lily said suddenly from behind them, causing George to jump a foot into the air. "At least, according to the curse."</p><p>"Curse?!" George exclaimed, stopping in his tracks.</p><p>"Come on George, we got this." Clay bumped his shoulder and beamed at him, bounding ahead.</p><p>"SECRET LOVE CAVE! LET'S GOOOO!" Sylvee shouted.</p><p>A love cave. A cursed, love cave. This was possibly the last place he would ever want to go. Especially with… He shook his head frowning. No, it didn't have anything to do with who was going with him. It was this stupid love cave idea. That's why he was uncomfortable.</p><p>He sprinted a bit to catch up and found the party had stopped a few yards away from a pile of rocks and dust. Probably the result of a recent landslide. George smirked to himself. He lamented the fact that they couldn't go to the tunnels and suggested, in a mockingly sad tone, that they should just fly to Omashu on Patches. Clay patted him on the shoulder and returned his smirk.</p><p>"Good thing we have an earthbender!"</p><p>"Clay… You can't earthbend, that's why we're going to Omashu… Unless!" George leaned in close to Clay's ear and whispered, "You're not going into the Avatar state just for this are you?"</p><p>Clay had asked Sylvee and George to keep the fact that he was the Avatar a secret whenever possible, after all, if the Fire Nation had gone running off to Kyoshi Island just based on a few rumors, there's no telling how much they knew or how far their intelligence network reached.</p><p>The young airbender scoffed, "I don't need to go into the Avatar state to move a couple rocks." Despite his bravado, he wouldn't meet George's eyes when he spoke.</p><p>George tilted his head back towards the blue sky. A cool breeze brushed across his face. The universe had given him a way out of this and, of course, Clay had to ruin it. George flung his arm towards the cave, gesturing for Clay to give it a shot. If everyone else was still dead set on going, then there was nothing else to be done.</p><p>The two walked together to the debris and George watched Clay stare at the rocks and throw his arms out emphatically. Nothing happened. Clay lurched forward and frowned, squinting so hard his eyes almost closed. A pebble twitched. George rolled his eyes. This was ridiculous. Clay growled under his breath and through sheer force of will the boulders began inching off the ground. It took a while, but eventually, Clay formed a small hole. George shrugged and walked into the opening. Clay let out a pained grunt. George turned, not quite on the other side of the little gap in the rocks, and looked back at Clay, just a foot away from him. Beads of sweat dripped down the sides of his face and his arms dropped a fraction under the weight of the stones. Then, his foot slipped, and he lost his hold on the debris. George heard a crack from above him as the rocks slid against each other and tumbled towards his head. Clay, rocketing towards him at an incredible speed, tackled him out of the way. The rocks just narrowly missed crushing his foot. Sprawled top of each other, the room plunged into pitch black darkness.</p><p>A soft light erupted from Clay's palm illuminating both their pale, shocked faces. They disentangled themselves, both blushing. The scent of dust still lingered in the air and George started coughing. Once he'd gotten control of himself, he glanced at Clay. The man scowled, eyebrows drawn together in a fury that George had never seen on him before.</p><p>"Why did you stop." Clay spoke the question as a statement, quiet and deliberate. Almost emotionless.</p><p>George spluttered without an answer, stunned by this new reaction.</p><p>"You could have died."</p><p>"I'm sorry," he muttered.</p><p>He'd stopped because he'd been worried about Clay. The sound Clay made lifting those rocks… George had turned to see if he'd been alright. Somehow, blaming Clay for this predicament didn't seem wise though. George bit his lip, his shoulders rising defensively. Clay's breath emerged in razor sharp huffs. George waited, afraid to speak.</p><p>Finally, he said, "So… You should probably go into the Avatar state. You know, to earthbend us out."</p><p>He didn't respond. George opened his mouth again and then shut it almost immediately. Clay was livid.</p><p>"I can't!"</p><p>The two syllables rang out across the walls, sending echoes deep into the tunnels.</p><p>George had thought the ritual with Sylvee had worked. Clay himself had told them that he'd felt something open up inside him. Everything should've been fine. He should've had complete control over it. Had Clay lied?</p><p>The two were silent again until they'd both calmed down. With no choice other than to explore the caves and hope they found the exit, they continued forwards, only to discover that they'd entered an inescapable labyrinth.</p><p>…</p><p>After what seemed to be an eternity of trudging through the caves, they found it! A round stone door in the wall covered by strange, archaic markings! They were finally getting out of here! The door was heavy and it took their combined strength to push the circle forward and create an opening. George's heart sank. The opening revealed a huge room with no sunlight, no breeze. This place wasn't the exit. He turned to see Clay, examining the room, in awe of his surroundings.</p><p>"It's a tomb," Clay remarked.</p><p>In the middle of the space, two coffins decorated with ornate depictions of a man and a woman rested on a wide, circular pedestal. Statues lined either side of the room.</p><p>"They must be the two lovers from the legend," George muttered.</p><p>Clay beckoned George to the back of the room where there was a giant sculpture inlaid into the wall with a man and woman kissing. Clay pointed to an inscription between the two lovers.</p><p>"Love is brightest in the dark," Clay read aloud.</p><p>George wondered what that could possibly mean… Love is best if it's kept secret? Love is more powerful when things are going terribly? Well, the two lovers' villages were at war, so it probably represented love through adversity or something. He shrugged. Not like it mattered anyway. As he started to go, Clay's eyes lit up with a sudden realization and he grabbed George's arm. The flame in his other hand, which they'd been using as a torch, grew and the room brightened.</p><p>"I've got a crazy idea."</p><p>"What?"</p><p>"Okay! So! So! The curse says, 'Trust in love' and the inscription talks about love being bright in the dark. Plus, they're kissing," he gestured emphatically at the sculpture with the hand he was firebending with, causing the flame to dance.</p><p>"Where are you going with this…?" George thought he knew. But he could be wrong, he had to be… Clay couldn't mean… </p><p>"It's so easy! All we have to do is kiss!"</p><p>George froze. His mouth agape. Then, suddenly, Clay's hand touching his skin felt like submerging his arm in boiling water. He leapt backwards.</p><p>"Kiss?!"</p><p>"Well, yeah." Clay shrugged, a pleasant smile on his face.</p><p>"But they both talk about love… We- Weren't not-"</p><p>"What, you don't love me, George?" Clay teased.</p><p>"No!" George yelled so loudly his answer reverberated off the cave walls. Clay's eyes widened and he quickly looked away. But, just before he did, George saw his face crumple. His shoulders slumped; he led the way out of the tomb. George groaned. They'd finally managed to get over the awkward silence from their fight after the cave in, and now he'd gone and fucked it up again. He smashed his hand into his forehead, berating himself for being so, so stupid.</p><p>As they traveled, the kiss kept creeping back into George's thoughts. Each time, he absently started to picture Clay, his goofy face leaning closer and closer, but every time he managed to distract himself just in time. What was wrong with him?! Clay had just proposed the idea so they could escape. He had to go and make it weird. Make it about this stupid, gross thing. Clay was his friend. He'd gone and made the suggestion about his issues. He would have to bring it up again…</p><p>He did try to bring it up. He did! But the words died in his throat every time, or they'd come out as something else entirely, and they'd start a totally different conversation. Eventually, George forgot about Clay's plan and the tension between them eased.</p><p>George wasn't sure how long they'd been traveling, but his feet ached and his eyelids drooped. They decided to stop and sleep. George figured it was probably night outside, and, even if it wasn't, he didn't think he could go another step. George slumped down, leaning against the wall and closed his eyes. The stone wall and floor were cold.</p><p>Somehow, he nodded off. Only to wake up after who knows how long, shivering violently. The back of his tunic was drenched from the moisture on the tunnel walls. His mind still foggy from sleep, he bent the water out of his clothes, but it was too late, the chill from his previously damp tunic had already seeped into his skin. He groggily shifted over, closer to Clay, the other man's body heat made the cold bearable.</p><p>The next time George came to consciousness, he felt warm and content. His eyes fluttered open and he squinted through the darkness. He winced. His head was pounding. His stomach burned. So that was why he had a headache! He always got them when he was hungry and right now, he was starving. He cuddled closer to whatever he was next to but couldn't ignore the gnawing pain in his stomach. Clay produced a small flame in his palm and now George could see that he'd been cuddling with Clay. Mortified, but not wanting to offend the airbender, he gently extracted himself, face beet-red, and apologized under his breath. They both rose from the ground. Another day of wandering the caves ahead of them.</p><p>…</p><p>George didn't know how long they'd been trudging along, but every step they took made a thud that was deafeningly loud thanks to his ever-worsening migraine. He clutched his head, stopping for a moment, squeezing his eyes shut before continuing. Clay wobbled and then stumbled over something, falling to the ground. He'd been complaining about feeling shaky for a while now. George helped him up and sighed. They couldn't go on like this for much longer. They need to get out. They needed food.</p><p>"Clay, this isn't working."</p><p>"Huh? What do you mean?"</p><p>They'd never find their way out at this rate. Some of the tunnels seemed to get longer as they traveled through them and others stopped abruptly before they'd even begun. George had tried to keep track of where they'd been, but he couldn't think straight anymore. He'd never been this lost in his entire life, and that meant a lot coming from someone who could, as his mother used to say, <em> "get lost walking from his bedroom to the kitchen."  </em></p><p>"We need a new plan." George stated.</p><p>"Okay. I know it makes you uncomfortable, but what about kissing?"</p><p>"I don't…" George trailed off. Clay waited patiently for George to finish his sentence but the waterbender just stopped.</p><p>"Is it because it's your first kiss?" </p><p>George nodded, vigorously, latching onto the explanation. Although it was his first kiss, his reservations really had more to do with Clay's gender, but he couldn't say that. Clay didn't think of this kiss as being romantic, he clearly just wanted them to escape as soon as possible. If George talked about his sexuality, then Clay would know that George had been having… Those thoughts. That he'd been imagining Clay more than he should…</p><p>"You don't have to be embarrassed. Isn't it better for your first kiss to be with someone who cares about you?"</p><p>George blushed. Shit. This strategy had totally backfired. Not only were they still going to kiss, but hearing Clay say he cared about him made him feel… Things. Misinterpreting George's response, Clay suggested turning out the light, so his friend would feel less self-conscious. Okay, George knew he had to do this. They might starve to death trying to escape these damn caves. Clay strode over to George so their faces were only inches apart. He put one hand on the waterbender's shoulder. George unconsciously held his breath and then, Clay closed his palm, snuffing out the flame. Darkness descended on them.</p><p>George felt Clay's newly extinguished hand land firmly on his other shoulder and pull him even closer. He could feel Clay's warm breath against his lips. His heart pounded in his chest and his headache pulsed in time with his heart. <em> It's hard to enjoy this with a headache, </em>he thought. Wait! Enjoy!? WHAT?!? He started to hyperventilate. Clay squeezed his shoulders and, sensing George's apprehension, drew him forward into a hug. George was surprised at first, then as Clay tightened his arms around him, he felt relieved. A warmth spread through his chest and George felt so grateful that he'd met this man. George closed his eyes and sighed, relaxing into his grip.</p><p>They stood there for a few seconds, before Clay gasped and pulled away, pointing upwards. The ceiling emitted a soft blue glow. They followed the lights on the roof of the cave, until a bright pinprick appeared in the distance. Whooping in triumph, they sprinted towards the exit and emerged on the side of a cliff, a clear blue sky above their heads.</p><p>Sylvee wasn't around and George figured she was probably looking for them. He crept to the edge of the cliff and saw a sheer edge with a long drop below them and no path down. Clay stood next to him, surveying the scene, as well.</p><p>"We'll have to take my glider."</p><p>"No," George replied, simply.</p><p>"Why not?" Clay pouted, in a way that reminded George far too much of his little sister.</p><p>"Hmm… I don't know… Maybe because I don't want to plummet to my death! Remember how many times you dropped me when we first met?"</p><p>"Aww, Georgie~"</p><p>"Do. Not. Call me. That."</p><p>"If you fall, I'll catch you," Clay held out his hand and winked.</p><p>George rolled his eyes and reached for Clay's hand. Clay pulled him forward and swept him into his arms. George gripped the airbender tightly and grimaced. The flight was long, and for George, terrifying, but finally, they found a panicked Sylvee, flying around, frantically searching for another entrance to the cave. For the record, Clay hadn't dropped him this time. A fact that he continued to brag about even when they were safe on Patches and well on their way to Omashu. Proud of doing the minimum amount expected. <em> Typical Clay </em>, George thought while he stuffed his face with dried seal jerky.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Sorry ClericalCasket, I can’t hand off the chapter, I’m reloading the love hotel over and over until I see the protagonist with the character I want. So… I guess I’ll write the next chapter too. *shrugs*<br/>If you’re looking for something to read, “00:00:00” by isleofdreams was really wholesome and fluffy: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25764895<br/>For my recommended viewing – I present this GeorgeNotFound Video! It’s really hectic in the best way and even if you’ve already seen it, it may be worth another watch. I know I’m going to rewatch it: 😊<br/>“Minecraft, But If You Laugh You Lose...”<br/>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I5RhX06NYvQ</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. The Omashu Debacle</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Clay and company finally arrive in Omashu, only to get accused of crimes against cabbages! Imprisoned and at the mercy of the crazy Earth King, Clay will have to face new demons and old if team Avatar ever hopes to escape.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>New Character Alert: It’s Karl Jacobs, whom we call Karl! Wow! Creat~iv~ity. Oops, sorry. My sarcasm is showing. Real talk though, the Karl in our story is very different from the real Karl, so I guess this is just our version of him? If you wanna see what the real Karl is actually like - check Karl Jacobs out at https://www.twitch.tv/karljacobs</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Sylvee brought Patches down just outside city limits, since a sky bison would definitely attract unwanted attention. The three proceeded on foot across a narrow ledge to the towering walls of Omashu. Two guards, gripping spears, stood at the end of the path. The guards admonished a cabbage merchant over his low-quality cabbages, and hurled half his supply off the edge. Despite the guards' aggressive actions, the three young benders passed by without issue. After a few standard questions about the group's intentions, the smooth stone wall opened before them and closed almost immediately behind them.</p><p>They weren't sure where to look first. So, they started wandering the city at random, looking for any sign of a master earthbender. Once they got to the commercial district, George starting asking people about local earthbending schools. Even though Clay had been here once before when he was traveling the world, running from Suyin, he wasn't really much help in this situation. Everything had changed so much since he'd last been here. Buildings had moved and the city had grown. People always seemed… busier in cities. Clay shrunk a bit, his shoulders rising defensively. He disagreed with the monks about almost everything, or, he corrected himself, he <em>had </em>disagreed with them, when they'd still been alive, but he did miss the silence and peace in the monastery.</p><p>He remembered the first time he'd come to Omashu… The city wasn't nearly as big as Ba Sing Se, but he'd stayed in Omashu for so much longer that it got to be completely overwhelming. Everyone was always rushing past him or yelling to someone else. The mail system provided an incessant whooshing sound as consistently as its packages. He'd already almost been hit with a cart on three separate occasions and everyone ignored him. After a week in this city, he was ready to give up earthbending for the time being and just continue on to the Southern Water Tribe. Gods only knew how long he had until Suyin managed to catch up with him. Then one day, just when he'd made up his mind to leave, a guy about his age with fluffy, dirty blonde hair bounded up to him and handed him a brown sack, yelling "Hide this!"</p><p>Without hesitation, Clay held the sack behind his back, as the stranger sprinted away. A few moments later, half a dozen guards raced after him. After they'd left, Clay peeked inside the bag and saw a stack of pastries. He slumped to the ground and waited for the guy to come back. Absently, he stuck his hand into the bag and started munching on the goodies inside. By the time the other man returned, he'd finished half of them.</p><p>"Hey!" The stranger exclaimed.</p><p>Clay just smirked and said, "My cut of the take."</p><p>The other man squinted before finally nodding and consented that as his accomplice, he was entitled to some of the loot anyway. He introduced himself as Karl.</p><p>"Dream," Clay replied, using his favorite alias.</p><p>Karl asked him if he would help him with something else just a little less than upright. Clay smiled for the first time all week. This was gonna be good.</p><p>This "something else" was a prank Karl had devised to get back at someone who'd rejected him. It wasn't malicious or anything; in fact, when Karl talked about her, he didn't even seem mad. Really, more than anything, he sounded bored. So Clay agreed.</p><p>Her house was only a few blocks away, and when they got there, Karl reached into his bag and pulled out a lute and a few sheets of paper. Karl filled Clay in, and Clay set the plan in motion. He called out to the woman and told her that he'd fallen in love with her. Then he proceeded to serenade her with a song that got more and more insulting the longer he sang it. Finally, he burst out laughing when the lyrics said she had the class and style of a hairless badger mole. The woman hurled a rock at him. But Karl jumped in front of Clay and extended his fist, breaking the rock cleanly in half. Then they ran away, eyes tearing up from laughter.</p><p>Clay begged Karl to teach him earthbending, and still chortling, he told Clay to meet him tomorrow for training.</p><p>Clay shook his head, coming back to the present. Someone screamed in the distance. The screaming got increasingly louder and people were falling over, having been suddenly shoved aside.</p><p>Then someone with shaggy blonde hair and green Earth Kingdom clothes ran up to him, shoved a small stack of cabbages into his arms and ran in the other direction, not even making eye contact with Clay. Guards barreled towards the young Avatar and, with an ominous sense of deja vu, Clay sprinted away. He could have eluded the guards but partway through the chase, he remembered that he’d left Sylvee and George behind and turned to see if they were following. When he didn’t see them, he froze dead in his tracks, panicked. He was sure they’d been captured and taken in for cabbage questioning! By the time he caught sight of them trailing behind, the guards tackled him to the ground. The cabbage merchant they’d seen outside caught up last to the group.</p><p>“My cabbages! You’re gonna pay for this!!”</p><p>“Three cabbages, please,” Clay replied meekly, trying for a small smile.</p><p>That didn’t go over so well. So, of course, they were brought before the King of Omashu. And of course, the King was an old man. Clay did <em>not </em>get along well with old men. The incident with the Air Nomad council of elders that got him banished had just been the most recent in a string of offenses that “presented a serious threat to our traditions and way of life.” Since that day, everyone above the age of 30 seemed to hate him, from grandfathers to kookie old guys. He sighed. The throne room was decorated in the traditional Earth Kingdom design. A large and spacious chamber with a long green carpet leading up to a tall, yet simple stone throne. The symbol of the Earth Kingdom, a circle with a square hole cut from the center, had been carved above the throne. An eerie emerald glow bathed the entire space. Try as he might he couldn’t find the source of this strange green lighting. The king had fluffy white hair, currently being smushed by his ornamental headdress, which had two giant feathers that puffed up along the edges of the hat. A poofy, unkempt beard exploded out of his chin. Rings adorned each finger and his long green robes pooled at his feet. When the King saw them, he cocked his eyebrow, seemingly interested in these young people before him. The guards forced Clay, George, and Sylvee to kneel before the King.</p><p>The guard charged Clay with malicious theft of cabbages and charged George and Sylvee with adding and abetting him with the unlawful seizure of those vegetables.</p><p>“Off with their heads! One for each head of cabbage!” The cabbage merchant added.</p><p>“Please, let them go. They had nothing to do with this,” Clay held out his hands, trying to placate the King.</p><p>“Silence!” The guard yelled, “Only the King can pass down judgement. What is your judgement, sire?”</p><p>The King turned his scrutinizing gaze to each of their faces. Clay looked away frowning, frustrated at being continually put into this position, always being marked by his elders as something tarnished and broken.</p><p>“Throw them…” There was a sharp intake of breath from the three travelers as they awaited their sentence, “a feast.”</p><p>There was general confusion among everyone in the room, although the guards looked as though they were somewhat used to these types of strange requests. The cabbage merchant grabbed his head and made distressed noises. Despite the chaos of the situation, Clay couldn’t help but chuckle at the cabbage merchant’s dismay. The three were directed to a large banquet hall a few rooms away from the throne room and the King followed behind them, his robes trailing across the floor. The table was ornate and, of course, draped with a green table cloth. Dishes lined the table, fish, pastries, egg dishes, dumplings, more food than Clay had seen in one place in a long time. As they took their seats, servants bustled around filling their plates with a little bit of everything from the table. When the flurry of activity settled, the King stood behind Clay. Clay shrank down a little as the King seemed to loom over him.</p><p>“The people in my city have gotten fat from too many feasts,” the King laughed, “so I hope you like your chicken with no skin.”</p><p>Clay stared at the chicken. He’d only tried meat for first time a few years ago when he’d been banished, and it was fucking amazing. It made him hate the monks even more for controlling his diet. Wait. No, the first time he’d tried meat had actually been 63 years ago. He kept forgetting how much time he’d lost. Didn’t that mean he was technically an old man too? A nudge from George distracted him from his identity crisis. The King seemed to be waiting for Clay to respond.</p><p>“Thanks, but I’m not hungry.” As much as he wanted to eat this decadent looking meal, he’d learned the hard way not to take anything from strangers. The savory smell of slow roasted chicken wafted towards him and he started regretting his caution.</p><p>The King turned to Sylvee. “What about you? I bet you like meat.” He snatched the drumstick from Clay’s plate and jammed it into her mouth. At first she was surprised, but then she began eagerly ripping the meat from the bone. So she wasn’t a vegetarian then. Interesting, Clay would’ve thought that growing up in an airbender family with Suyin as her grandmother… Well, he guessed that their Water Tribe born parents had intervened at some point. Meat was a pretty big deal there from what he’d heard. You probably couldn’t do much farming in the snow. The King strolled down to the other end of the table and lowered himself into another throne, almost identical to the one they’d seen him seated on originally.</p><p>“So, tell me, cabbage thief, where are you from?”</p><p>“I’m from… Kangaroo Island,” Clay lied.</p><p>“Ooooh, Kangaroo Island, eh? I hear that place is really… hopping!” The King broke out into uncontrollable maniacal laughter. George started chuckling, but Clay shot him a withering stare.</p><p>“What? It was pretty funny,” George said, defensively. It was hopeless. Between George seeming perfectly comfortable and Sylvee inhaling the food they’d placed in front of her, only the wise Avatar cared about keeping them alive, apparently.</p><p>“All these good jokes are making me tired,” the King yawned dramatically, “Guess it’s time to hit the hay,” then he chucked something right at Clay’s face.</p><p>He knew something like this would happen! His hands flew up in front of him and he used a small ball of air to stop the projectile, his chair almost flying backward from stopping the impact. Hovering just inches away from his face, he saw… A chicken leg?</p><p>"There's an airbender in our midst," the King stood from his chair, "And not just any airbender… The Avatar."</p><p>There was a stunned silence in the chamber. Why did people always assume that the first airbender they met was the Avatar? Well, he was right anyway. Identity blown, Clay rose, gesturing discreetly for his friends to follow.</p><p>"You got me. I'm the Avatar. Looking for an Earthbending teacher and preparing to stop the war. Gonna bring peace and restore balance and all that jazz," he started to slowly back towards the exit, "So we'll just be going now."</p><p>The guards crossed their spears in front of the doorway.</p><p>“Tomorrow the Avatar will face three challenges. But for now, the guards will show you to your chamber.”</p><p>After a lengthy and confusing debate about which chamber the King was talking about, the guards escorted them to the "newly refurbished chamber that was once bad." They were sealed in said chamber with no way out. The guards seemed to get in and out of the room using earthbending. The chamber was admittedly very nice. Rich green drapes were strung about the circular room, which was lit by the soft glow of lamps designed to look like bouquets of flowers. In the center of the room, three beds were positioned around a small stone table with a bowl of fresh fruit. There was a small vent near the top of the chamber and they discussed maybe sending a note through it, but there wasn’t anyone on the other side who would care... So they spent their time lounging on the three beds and discussing strategies for whatever this “challenge” was going to be. Sylvee suggested that they should just escape instead of doing anything this psychotic king told them to. George thought that seemed risky, considering they were surrounded by his guards.</p><p>“But we have something they don’t… The Avatar!” Sylvee beamed triumphantly.</p><p>Clay stayed conspicuously silent, turning his head away from them. He could feel their stares and guilt welled up inside them. As a bender, he was powerful but not powerful enough to take on an entire battalion of guards. And… he couldn’t go into the Avatar state. He flopped down onto his bed and shoved his head into his pillow, it smelled like dust and dry earth. He didn’t want to think about this stuff right now. George was a master waterbender, he was a master airbender - no matter what the Air Nomads said - and Sylvee was probably one of the most talented kids he’d ever seen. As long as they all worked together, they’d be able to escape, and he wouldn’t have to use the Avatar state. And he could avoid thinking about it for just a little while longer.</p><p>...</p><p>Clay didn’t know he’d fallen asleep until he was waking up to muffled shouts. Bleary-eyed, he jumped from the bed and caught a glimpse of Sylvee and George struggling against the guards, being taken from the chamber. One man stayed behind to inform him that his friends would be returned when he completed the King’s challenge, and then he quickly slipped after his fellow guards.</p><p>Gripping his head in his hands, Clay tried to steady his breathing. There was no avoiding it. He had to try to go into the Avatar state. He closed his eyes. He felt that ball of spiritual energy inside him, the energy that Sylvee had helped him unlock. But it was tangled into a messy ball of knots surging in truncated paths. He tapped into it, reaching out with his consciousness. A violent terror erupted inside him. Images flashed into his mind. Clay saw his hands, elements twisting around them, water, fire, earth. Sharp icy protrusions stabbed George, blood trickling down and mingling with the water. Sylvee burning, flames crackling and turning her flesh black. Thousands of tons of rocks pummeled George, his body completely obscured. Clay’s eyes flickered glowing blue, going in and out. Horrible sounds of agony piercing the air. Clay clamped his hands over his ears and screamed. The visions faded after a while and he collapsed onto the cool stone.</p><p>He crawled over to the curved walls of the chamber, and put his palm against it. He feebly tried to bend the solid rock in front of him. It didn’t budge. Without a small piece of earth to focus his attention on the wall was unbreakable. Tears started to run down his face and he angrily wiped them away. He squeezed his eyes shut, resting his forehead against the wall. If only he’d learned earthbending from Karl.</p><p>63 years ago, he’d gone back to meet Karl for his first lesson. As he was walking up to where Karl waited, Suyin rushed up to Karl and began speaking to him. Clay was too far away to hear what she said, but he already knew what she was telling him. She was forbidding Karl from teaching Clay. She had been following Clay around the world telling every single person he met not to train him. Frustrated and hurt that he’d lost yet another opportunity to finally train in one of the other elements and fulfill his role as the Avatar, he slipped away before either Suyin or Karl could see him.</p><p>Clay opened his eyes when he felt a woman standing above him. He knew she must be one of his past lives, but he’d never seen her before. She had a round face and soft black hair. She was wearing a blue dress, lined with white fur - clearly from the Water Tribe. Her eyes were the cold grey of impending storm clouds. He knew her name was Ha-Mae. But, like all the past lives he interacted with, he didn’t know anything else about her.</p><p>“Stand up. You’re the Avatar. This is pathetic.”</p><p>He just stared up at her from the ground.</p><p>“You want to help you friends, don’t you?”</p><p>Clay slowly got up and stumbled back to one of the beds.</p><p>“You may not be able to go into the Avatar state, but I can teach you a technique that I invented. It doesn’t require spiritual energy, only your own superior bending abilities.”</p><p>Clay smiled for the first time in hours. For once, one of his past lives was giving him helpful advice instead of quoting obscure proverbs or criticizing his stance. Ha-Mae sat down next to Clay. The bed didn’t move beneath her body and Clay experienced a surreal moment where he remembered he was basically talking to a ghost. Being the Avatar was really weird sometimes.</p><p>“Even the Avatar’s power has limits. A fact I discovered myself far too early in my life,” Ha-Mae paused for a moment, and Clay was overwhelmed with the lingering bitterness in her words, before she continued, “Waterbenders are born with the gift of manipulating water, the giver of life and the origin of all life. I knew there had to be some way to harness it. One night, under the full moon, I realized that humans are nothing more than skins filled with liquid.”</p><p>Clay shivered. How could she reduce humans to that? How could she ignore the love and joy, pain and suffering, everything that connected people to each other? He wanted to argue, to interrupt, but his throat went dry.</p><p>“Bloodbending. Once you perfect this technique, you can control anything or,” she smiled sadistically, “anyone.”</p><p>Finding his voice, Clay whispered, “To reach inside someone and control them? I don't want that kind of power.”</p><p>“The choice is not yours. The power exists. And it's your duty to use the gifts you've been given to save your friends and win this war.”</p><p>“It’s wrong,” Clay straightened his back and looked directly into her eyes, “I will never, ever do something like that.”</p><p>“You already have, in a past life.”</p><p>She laughed, a low and dangerous cackle, and then disappeared.</p><p>He stared at the walls of the chamber, unable to sleep. His eyes ached, but every time he closed them, he thought of bloodbending. So he waited through the excruciatingly long hours until sunrise. Waited for his chance to finish the challenges and to rescue his friends.</p><p>...</p><p>Clay squeezed his sore eyes shut and forced them open again. The guards flanking him on either side stared straight ahead and the three walked in silence. They went down a long hallway and several flights of stairs before arriving at a large set of roughhewn stone doors. The King waited outside, hands clasped together, wearing a strange purple robe lined with speckled white furs.</p><p>"First Avatar… What do you think of my new outfit? I want your honest opinion."</p><p>Clay pinched the bridge of his nose. A migraine pierced his skull and buffeted his head with intermittent throbbing. Even the dim green light that suffused the palace seemed too bright.</p><p>The King leaned forward expectantly glancing between the two guards then locking eyes with Clay again.</p><p>"Well? I'm waiting…" He beamed.</p><p>"I guess…" Clay clenched his teeth, "It's fine."</p><p>The silence that followed was punctuated only by the guard on his left awkwardly coughing into his fist.</p><p>In a low voice, not even looking at the mad King, Clay spoke, "Give me my friends back. We're leaving."</p><p>"Oh, I thought you might refuse," the King chuckled, "so I will give your friends some special souvenirs."</p><p>A wall opened to their right, revealing George and Sylvee being held by two more guards, who forced two brightly colored rings onto his friends' hands.</p><p>"Those delightful rings are made of pure jennamite, also known as creeping crystal. It's a crystal that grows remarkably fast," the King adopted the air of a tour guide trying to present something he'd seen a million times before as something new and exciting, "By nightfall your friends will be completely covered in it."</p><p>Clay stared as the opaque blue crystal grew, completely covering George's hand. He couldn't go into the Avatar state. Couldn't free them. And now, he had to do whatever this psychotic monarch ordered him to. It was the only way. The only way to save his friends. An image of the King's body seizing up flashed into Clay's mind. The King falling to his knees, just as helpless as his friends were. He dug his nails into his palms to banish the nightmarish vision, following the others to the door. The King put up his hand and ordered his guards to stay behind, stating that only he and the Avatar and his companions would continue forward. The guards seemed reluctant to leave their king alone with the strangers, but didn't disobey their orders.</p><p>The four entered two large double doors, formed of simple, uncarved stone. They emerged onto a balcony overlooking a huge cavern riddled with stalagmites. A waterfall in the middle of the opening filled the space with a constant crashing. The King gestured to a table and chairs where he'd set out tea for the four of them. Sylvee and George immediately plopped into the chairs, but Clay refused to relax, ready for whatever this King would do next.</p><p>Sighing, the King closed his fist and jerked his arm backwards. The crystals that had begun encasing his friends shattered in two small explosions. The King caught a piece and popped it into his mouth.</p><p>"Jennamite is made of rock candy," he winked, "Dream, would you please sit down. I just want to talk to you for a few minutes before you go running off again."</p><p>Hearing the name, his knees wobbled and he eased himself into the seat next to George. He'd been Dream just a few weeks ago, before he'd started this new journey, otherwise known as those six decades that he skipped over completely. He hadn't even thought of introducing himself as Dream when he met George. With George, and now Sylvee, he was Clay.</p><p>"Karl," Clay knew exactly who this was, surprised to learn the young prankster he'd known had been royalty.</p><p>Karl explained, for the others' benefit, how they'd known each other. Clay watched the old man's face twist slightly into the mischievous grin he'd once known. Karl had left a strong impression on him and that apparently went both ways. Their acquaintance was so brief, Clay was startled to be remembered over half a century later.</p><p>"Why did you do," George gestured at the cavern then to himself and Sylvee, "all <em>this </em>instead of just telling Clay who you were?"</p><p>"First of all, it's pretty fun messing with people. And having a reputation for being the Mad King does wonders for the crime rate. But I did have another reason. I had to be sure the Avatar," he spoke the words with unnatural formality, "wouldn't leave without hearing what I had to say."</p><p>He'd met with Suyin, that much Clay already knew. But Clay finally got the chance to hear what it was she'd told everyone. What she'd said that turned him into a social pariah and forced him to teach himself.</p><p>"Suyin shared a prophecy she'd received from the ocean spirit: 'Once he masters the four elements, he will perish,'" he directed his attention to Clay's two masters and friends, "If you teach him, he will die and the era of balance the world enjoys now will vanish."</p><p>Clay laughed sardonically, voice devoid of mirth, echoing across the curved walls. He stood. King Karl's face solidified into resignation.</p><p>"You haven't changed a bit, Dream. You're still running," he sighed.</p><p>Maybe he was right. Dream spent years running away. Maybe that's why he was Clay now. Dream needed to run away, but Clay was running <em>to</em> something and this time, he wasn't alone.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>So, you may have noticed, no fun little reference in the author's notes today… I wanted to use this space to say that this chapter was much later than I wanted it to be. I'm in my last semester of college and finding the odd spare minute to write has been challenging.<br/>The next chapter is mine and it might not be out for a couple months. It's gonna be a monster of a chapter, but look forward to possibly getting the other two members of the muffinteers and maybe a brand-new villain… 😉 We hope you guys are enjoying reading the story as much as we're enjoying writing it ❤️<br/>Want to see what the actual Karl is like? I recommend this video if you wanna check out that lovable maniac:<br/>"We Broke Jackbox!"<br/>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=obyR0XQ3dYw<br/>Or maybe you wanna read some sweet fluff with a little danger in the middle, try:<br/>"you are the sun, and like the sun, i see you without even looking" by inmyhead404<br/>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28242459</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
</body>
</html>